Benjamin Franklin

Walter Isaacson

📚 GENRE: Biographies & Memoirs

📃 PAGES: 586

✅ COMPLETED: December 13, 2023

🧐 RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Short Summary

Walter Isaacson dissects the remarkable life of Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s most versatile pioneers and an instrumental figure in America’s fight for independence during the Revolutionary War with Britain. Isaacson explores how Franklin’s pragmatic approach to life allowed him to become one of America’s most famous printers, scientists, and diplomats. 

Key Takeaways

1️⃣ Franklin the Media Mogul — Franklin was very well-rounded and made a major impact in several disciplines, but the foundation of his identity was that of a media mogul, particularly as a printer and publisher. Through a relentless work ethic and commitment to his craft, he became one of the best writers of his time. The combination of his fledging newspaper and Poor Richard’s Almanac made him wealthy and allowed him to explore other areas. He also developed America’s postal system, allowing mail to travel seamlessly throughout the colonies. Throughout his life, he was obsessed with creating personal credos, systems, and rules (personal philosophies) designed to make him stronger. He was always focused on reading, learning, and self-improvement. In many ways, he was the world’s first self-improvement guru; many of today’s “gurus” draw on the lessons he wrote about in his autobiography. 

2️⃣ Franklin the Scientist & Inventor — Although science was merely something he played with on the side, Franklin made significant contributions to the field throughout his life. His most notable contribution was in the area of electricity, where he discovered the conservation of charge and the single-fluid theory of electricity. These findings led him to the correct conclusion in the 1750s that lightning is “electricity in the air,” a discovery that made him world-famous. His discovery about lightning, which to that point was considered a supernatural phenomena and feared by almost everybody, led to the installation of lightning rods in every city around the world. Franklin was also a legendary tinkerer; he routinely invented small gadgets like bifocals, an arm for his library, a stove, and much more. 

3️⃣ Franklin the Diplomat — Maybe Franklin’s most impactful contributions were his diplomatic efforts. His unique personality allowed him to successfully navigate intense discussions with Britain and France, making him one of the great foreign diplomats America has ever seen. Without his efforts, America may never have secured the alliance with France that it desperately needed to win the Revolutionary War over Britain and become a fully independent nation. His ability to negotiate with both countries later allowed America to secure a peace plan with Britain without angering France. While not the chief engineer, he was also instrumental in helping the United States develop the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. In fact, he is the only person to sign all four of America’s founding papers: the Declaration of Independence, the treaty of alliance with France, the peace plan with Britain, and the Constitution.

Favorite Quote

“Since that time, he (Franklin) had been instrumental in shaping every major document that led to the creation of the new republic. He was the only person to sign all four of its founding papers: the Declaration of Independence, the treaty with France, the peace accord with Britain, and the Constitution.”

Book Notes 📑

Ch. 1: Benjamin Franklin and the Invention of America

  • A Relatable Man — Benjamin Franklin’s personality and values made him one of the most relatable giants of American history. Unlike others, he wasn’t “untouchable” or intimidating; he was one with the people. Throughout his life, he valued and prioritized the middle class. He was well-liked.
    • Quote (P. 2): “Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us. George Washington’s colleagues found it hard to imagine touching the austere general on the shoulder, and we would find it even more so today. Jefferson and Adams are just as intimidating. But Ben Franklin, that ambitious urban entrepreneur, seems made of flesh rather than of marble, addressable by nickname, and he turns to us from history’s stage with eyes that twinkle from behind those newfangled spectacles.”
  • Man of Many Talents — Franklin was, during his 84-year lifespan, America’s best scientist, inventor, diplomat, writer, business strategist, and one of its most practical political thinkers. He proved by flying a kite that lightning was electricity. He devised bifocal glasses and clean-burning stoves, charts of the Gulf Stream and theories about the contagious nature of the common cold. In foreign policy, he created an approach that wove together idealism with balance-of-power realism. And in politics, he proposed seminal plans for uniting the colonies and creating a federal model for a national government (the Constitution). He was also obsessive about his own personal development. He was an avid reader, writer, and learner.

Ch. 2: Pilgrim's Progress

  • Josiah Franklin — Josiah Franklin was Ben Franklin’s father. In 1683, he set sail for America with his wife and three children (Ben was not born yet). He ended up in Boston, where he worked as a tallow chandler, a trade that involved squeezing animal fat into candles and soap. Josiah went on to have 17 children over a period of 34 years, something that wasn’t all that uncommon at the time. 
  • Abiah Franklin — Abiah Franklin was Ben Franklin’s mother. By 1689, Josiah’s first wife passed away during labor. He remarried to Abiah that year. Both Josiah and Abiah went on to live into their mid-80s, which was extremely long back then. Their longevity was passed on to Benjamin — he lived to be 84 years old himself. 
  • Benjamin Is Born — Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 in Boston. He had more than 10 siblings, most of them older. The New World was still developing at the time, so Boston was only 76 years old when Franklin was born. He grew up along the Charles River, where he developed an early love for swimming and inventing stuff. It was pretty clear early on that he was a strong leader and a very smart kid. 
  • Education — Josiah knew Benjamin was smart, which is why he enrolled his son in Boston Latin School at age 8 to prepare him for Harvard. He excelled, and was even bumped up a grade level. Despite his son’s success, Josiah changed his mind about Harvard. Instead, Benjamin was redirected to a writing and arithmetic academy. Franklin was an extremely talented writer, but wasn’t great with math. Still, he would become a highly successful scientist later in life, in addition to the many other things he accomplished. Some historians argue, however, that if he had gone to Harvard and received the academic training he needed in math and science, he may have accomplished things on the level of Isaac Newton. 
  • Apprenticeship — In 1718, at the age of 12, Franklin became an apprentice to his brother James, a local printer in Boston. James was able to win over The Boston Gazette account, which allowed him to print that newspaper. It was one of two newspapers in Boston at the time. Franklin’s main role was to help his brother run the print shop.
  • The New England Courant — James later lost The Boston Gazette account and decided to start and print his own newspaper called the New England Courant. It was an independent, weekly newspaper that often challenged and criticized the ruling establishment in Boston. For that reason, James sometimes ran into trouble. The Courant is considered America’s first fiercely independent newspaper, and James is remembered as the first great fighter for an independent press in America. 
  • Book Worm — From a young age, Franklin was a book worm and attributed much of his success to his reading. He read constantly throughout his life, including several books as a kid that heavily influenced his trajectory. These books shaped his mindset on personal development and his lifelong focus on progress. They also cemented in his mind the idea of doing good for others. Later in his life, he followed through on some of what he read by establishing several voluntary associations to benefit society.
    • Quote (P. 24): “Indeed, books were the most important formative influence in his life, and he was lucky to grow up in Boston, where libraries had been carefully nurtured since the Arabella brought fifty volumes along with the town’s first settlers in 1630.”
  • Avoid Confrontation — Franklin learned early in his life that criticizing and blaming people for things only produces argument and resentment because most people don’t blame themselves for anything, even if they were clearly wrong. Instead of confrontation, he began to use the Socratic method of gently asking probing questions that, when answered by his opponent, would expose the person for what they did wrong.
    • Quote (P. 27): “By asking what seemed to be innocent questions, Franklin would draw people into making concessions that would gradually prove whatever point he was trying to assert. ‘I found this method the safest for myself and very embarrassing to those against whom I used it; therefore, I took a delight in it.’ Although he later abandoned the more annoying aspects of a Socratic approach, he continued to favor gentle indirection rather than confrontation in making his arguments.”
  • Silence Dogood — Silence Dogood was a pseudonym teenage Franklin used to write articles for the Courant in 1722. Franklin knew his brother James would not allow him to write as himself, so he made up the Silence Dogood character, a widowed woman from a rural area just outside of Boston, and submitted articles under her name. The Silence Dogood name came from him combining the titles of two of his favorite books. He wrote 14 articles for the Courant under the Silence Dogood name, revealing his true identity in his final entry. He wrote on a variety of topics, but his most notable entry was one in which he unleashed a piercing attack on Harvard, the college he never got to attend. 
  • The Escape — Franklin decided to escape his brother James and his apprenticeship with the Courant in 1723. His brother wasn’t treating him well, and he had an itch to move on. He also didn’t mesh well with the Puritans in Boston, who were highly religious. Franklin sometimes mocked religion, which made him an outcast in a place like Boston. Instead, he was drawn to places like Philadelphia and New York because they were the business hubs of young America. The 17-year-old Franklin set sail for Philadelphia on September 25, 1723. 
  • Chapter Takeaway — Franklin was a spunky, rebellious teenager. He was a prolific reader even as a kid, and he put his knowledge to use as the ghost writer behind Silence Dogood. 

Ch. 3: Journeyman

  • Lifelong Learner — Franklin was dedicated to lifelong learning. As a young man, while his coworkers went off for hearty meals, Franklin ate biscuits and raisins and used the time for study, “in which I made the greater progress from that greater clearness of head and quicker apprehension which usually attend temperance in eating and drinking.” He read and studied during breaks rather than going out and eating and drinking to excess. He was constantly trying to learn and improve himself. He read everything, from science and philosophy to business and history. He even read books on swimming, one of his many passions. 
  • Physical Description — At 17, Franklin was physically striking: muscular, barrel-chested, open-faced, and almost six feet tall. He had the talent of being at ease in almost anybody’s company, from scrappy tradesmen to wealthy merchants, scholars to rogues. His most notable trait was a personal magnetism; he attracted people who wanted to help him. Never shy, and always eager to win friends and patrons, he often exploited this charm.
  • Approach to Conversation — Building on a point from the previous chapter, Franklin was obsessed with personal development. One of the areas he locked in on was his conversational approach. He avoided confrontation, blaming, and criticism at all costs, because those methods only produce resentment and dislike from others, even if it’s warranted. Instead, he asked probing questions, faked naivety, and used self-deprecating humor. This approach allowed him to connect with people throughout his life and avoid needless drama.
    • Quote (P. 42): “A secret to being more revered than resented, he learned, was to display (at least when he could muster the discipline) a self-deprecating humor, unpretentious demeanor, and unaggressive style in conversation.” 
  • Arrival in Philly — Franklin arrived in Philadelphia in November 1723. With a population of 2,000, Philadelphia was then the second-largest village after Boston. He began working for a local printer named Samuel Keimer. Franklin lived during the Enlightenment, the age of reason that flourished in 18th century Europe and America. 
  • Departure to London — Not long after arriving in Philadelphia, Franklin befriended Sir William Keith, who was the governor of Pennsylvania at the time. Keith, after reading an article in which Franklin praised Philadelphia, offered to help Franklin start his own print shop. He offered to send Franklin to London to get the needed equipment, and he offered to pay for the voyage and all expenses. In November 1724, Franklin set sail for London. 
  • Life in London — Almost immediately after arriving in London in December 1724, Franklin realized that Keith had misled him. Keith had no money for anything. Franklin had to make the most of the situation, and he did so by working at a few print shops around London, where he continued to work, read, and learn until he was able to sail back to the United States in 1726. 
  • View on Religion — Franklin was not a deeply religious man, despite growing up around the Puritans in Boston. The Puritans believed that salvation came through God’s grace alone and could not be earned by doing good deeds. Franklin disagreed with that view, which is partly why he didn’t stay in Boston long. At the same time, he also wasn’t in agreement with deism, which was a popular way of thinking during the Enlightenment era (18th century) and held that individuals could best discover the truth about God through reason and studying nature, rather than through blind faith. Franklin’s view on religion was somewhere in the middle of the two. He believed that God was best served by doing good works and helping other people. Unlike the Puritans, he believed you could earn salvation from God by doing good for others. 
  • ‘Plan for Future Conduct’ — In July 1726, Franklin made the 11-week journey back to Philadelphia from London. During his voyage, he wrote out his own personal philosophy in a document that he called his ‘Plan for Future Conduct’. It was a personal credo that laid out rules for success based on what he had learned in his life to that point. He created this document because he felt he was all over the place in life and wanted to give himself a set of rules he could follow and refer to at any point. This is very similar to my own personal philosophy document and was created for the same reasons.
    • Quote (P. 48): “To perfect the art of becoming such a reliable person, Franklin wrote out a ‘Plan for Future Conduct’ during his eleven-week voyage back to Philadelphia. It would be the first of many personal credos that laid out pragmatic rules for success and made him the patron saint of self-improvement guides. He lamented that because he had never outlined a design for how he should conduct himself, his life so far had been somewhat confused.”
  • Franklin’s Rules — Franklin’s ‘Plan for Future Conduct’ was centered around four key rules. He wasn’t perfect at following these, but they were what he aspired to accomplish in his relations with others. In his own words, the four rules included:
    • Frugality — It is necessary for me to be extremely frugal for some time, till I have paid what I owe.
    • Honesty — To endeavor to speak truth in every instance; to give nobody expectations that are not likely to be answered, but aim at sincerity in every word and action — the most amiable excellence in a rational being.
    • Work Ethic — To apply myself industriously (work hard) to whatever business I take in hand, and not divert my mind from my business by any foolish project of suddenly growing rich; for industry (work ethic) and patience are the surest means of plenty.
    • No Sh*t Talking — I resolve to speak ill of no man whatsoever 
  • Chapter Takeaway — This was a time in Franklin’s life where he began to find himself a bit. His time in London wasn’t what he expected after Keith screwed him over, but he made the most of it. The personal philosophy document that he wrote on his trip back to Philadelphia set the foundation for the rest of his life. 

Ch. 4: Printer

  • His Own Print Shop — By 1728, two years after arriving back in the U.S., Franklin had his own print shop on Market Street in Philadelphia. He became known as an extremely hard worker, and owning his own print shop served as a foundation for other related business opportunities, including his own newspaper and several other exciting endeavors. 
  • The Junto — Franklin started the Leather Apron Club, which became known as The Junto, in 1727. The Junto was initially established with just 12 members, consisting of various friends and acquaintances of Franklin, and was a manifestation of Franklin’s passion for personal development. The members met regularly to discuss and debate a video variety of things, but the club was mostly centered on self-improvement. Franklin led the club for 30 years, and it eventually became so popular that it exploded into a bunch of “mini clubs” around the colonies. 
  • Franklin’s Conversation Killers — Similar to his ‘Plan for Future Conduct’, Franklin also penned a guide for good conversation. In it, he laid out the best, and worst, practices for conversing with others to avoid being seen as a pain in the ass. Many of his ideas have been referenced by modern self-improvement gurus as best practices for good conversation.
    • Do List:
      • Listen well
      • Show interest and curiosity 
      • Ask probing, indirect questions to make a point or disagree with someone rather than argue blatantly. As Franklin said, “When another asserted something that I thought an error, I denied myself the pleasure of contradicting him.”
      • Fake modesty and naïveté when needed to avoid disputes 
      • Use self-deprecation here and there to appear humble 
    • Don’t List:
      • Talking too much, which “never fails to excite resentment”
      • Seeming uninterested 
      • Speaking too much about yourself 
      • Asking others about personal secrets and matters (e.g. how much do you make?”)
      • Telling long and pointless stories 
      • Contradicting or disputing somebody directly
      • Complaining and blaming
      • Gossip
  • Interesting Fact — The typeface used in this book is Adobe Caslon, which is based on the fonts created in the 1720s by famed London type-maker, William Caslon. These were also the typefaces that Franklin ordered when he first established his own print shop in 1728. 
  • Expanding the Print Shop — Franklin decided to take on the two local Philadelphia newspapers by expanding his print shop to include content and distribution. Over the next decade he would succeed by building a media conglomerate that included production capacity (printing operations, franchised printers in other cities), products (a newspaper, magazine, almanac), content (his own writings, his alter ego Poor Richard’s, and those of his Junto), and distribution (eventually the whole of the colonial postal system).
  • The Pennsylvania Gazette — In 1729, Franklin accomplished the first leg of his print shop expansion plan by becoming the owner and publisher of The Pennsylvania Gazette. He acquired the newspaper from his frenemy Samuel Keimer after using the town’s rival paper to write admonishing articles about Keimer, to the point where Keimer piled up so much debt that he had to sell his paper and flee town. By the 1730s, Franklin and The Gazette were thriving. 
  • Pros & Cons List — Always tinkering with personal rules and guidelines, Franklin developed a method for making difficult decisions, a process that involved folding a piece of paper down the middle, creating Pros vs. Cons columns, and writing entries on both sides. After completing his lists, if a pro and con held equal weight in his mind, he would cross both of them out. If a certain pro accounted for two cons in his mind, he’d scratch all three out. In the end, he leaned toward whichever side had more surviving entries after he was done evaluating. 
  • Deborah and William and Franky — In 1730, Franklin married Deborah Read. Their marriage lasted 44 years until Deborah passed away.  Franklin also had an illegitimate son named William around that same time. The child was conceived prior to his marriage to Deborah. Nobody is 100% sure who William’s mother is; Franklin never revealed her identity in his letters, and neither did William. Two years after their marriage, Franklin and Deborah had a child of their own named Francis “Franky” Franklin, but he tragically died of smallpox when he was 4. 
  • The Moral Perfection Project — In line with his passion for personal development, Franklin loved to create guides, rules, and systems to help him live well. Similar to the ‘Plan for Future Conduct’ he created on his way back to the U.S. from London in 1726, he created a ‘Moral Perfection Project’ a few years later where he wrote down 13 virtues that he valued most and worked on perfecting each of them, one at a time. He wrote each virtue down the left side of his notepad, and to the right of that column created a 7-day calendar. He worked on one virtue per week. If he didn’t abide by the virtue, he put a dot on the day that he made an infraction. His goal was to have no dots. He completed the 13-week cycle four times in a year. The 13 virtues were:
    • Temperance — Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation
    • Silence — Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation
    • Order — Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time
    • Resolution — Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve
    • Frugality — Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; (i.e., waste nothing)
    • Industry (Work Ethic) — Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions
    • Sincerity — Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly
    • Justice — Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty
    • Moderation — Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve
    • Cleanliness — Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation
    • Tranquility — Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable
    • Chastity — Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation
    • Humility — Imitate Jesus and Socrates
  • View on Religion, Part II — The points made in an earlier bullet about Franklin’s view on religion hold up, even as he got older. He embraced his own form of religion that took the best parts of deism and Puritanism. Unlike the Puritans, he didn’t believe in blind faith. Unlike deists, he didn’t believe that reason and nature alone could explain God. He was somewhere in the middle. He believed that by doing good for others, you are doing right by God, and you can earn God’s salvation by doing good works. He believed in God and his protection, but he was not highly religious in the sense of believing that God was there to micromanage a person’s life and answer every personal request. He believed there was a connection between goodness and godliness. In his words, his overarching belief was that “the most acceptable service to God is doing good to man.”
  • Practicality of Religion — Just like everything else in his life, Franklin’s view on religion was practical in the sense that it served a purpose in his life: his belief and unique personal view of religion encouraged him to do well to others, because he believed that doing so meant that he was doing right by God. Franklin was not a man who did something “just to do it” or believed in something “just to believe.” Everything he did was with purpose. Everything he did was designed to make him better in some way.
    • Quote (P. 92): “He focused on understanding virtue rather than God’s grace, and he based his creed on rational utility rather than religious faith.”
    • Quote (P. 94): “The purpose of religion (in Franklin’s view) should be to make men better and to improve society, and any sect or creed that did so was fine with him.”
    • Quote (P. 94): “What he found more satisfactory — more than metaphysics or poetry or exalted romantic sentiments — was looking at things in a pragmatic and practical way. Did they have beneficial consequences? For him, there was a connection between civic virtue and religious virtue, between serving his fellow man and honoring God. He was unashamed by the simplicity of this creed, as he explained in a sweet letter to his wife. ‘God is very good to us,’ he wrote. ‘Let us… show our sense of His goodness to us by continuing to do good to our fellow creatures.’”
  • Poor Richard’s Almanack — In 1732, Franklin decided to create his own almanac. Almanacs were a huge source of yearly income for newspapers back then, and Franklin needed one. Poor Richard’s Almanack gave Franklin a platform to write about his personal ideas and virtues under the guise of a fictional man named Richard Saunders. The almanac was released every year for 25 years, and it made Franklin wealthy. It became by far the most popular almanac in Philadelphia. 
  • Chapter Takeaway — Franklin was obsessed with personal development, and he did not do anything unless it was going to help him improve. In this way, he was very mechanical. Whether it was his ‘conversation killers’, his pros vs. cons list for making tough decisions, or his ‘Moral Perfection Project’, he was always trying to devise practical ways to keep himself in line and improve. This mindset also crept into how he viewed religion; although he wasn’t highly religious himself, he believed that religion was “useful” because it encouraged people to do well to others. 

Ch. 5: Public Citizen

  • Man of the People — Franklin was a civic-minded man who, influenced by his reading as a kid and his practical view on religion, was very open to creating organizations that benefited society as a whole. Over his life, he launched a variety of volunteer community organizations, including a lending library, fire brigade, and night watchmen corps, and later a hospital, militia, and college. These came after he started his Junto, which is another example. Below are a few of the associations he helped start:
    • The Library Company of Philadelphia — in 1731, Franklin at 27-years-old led the opening of the Library Company of Philadelphia. The library was so popular that it spawned additional libraries in the other colonies. Today the library has over 500,000 books and is the oldest cultural institution in the U.S. 
    • Union Fire Company — In 1736, Franklin led the opening of the Union Fire Company, which gathered and organized volunteers and put them to use as firefighters in the town. 
    • The American Philosophical Society — In 1743, Franklin proposed and established what was basically an intercolonial Junto called The American Philosophical Society. Based in Philadelphia, the organization included scientists and thinkers from other cities. They gathered and talked about various developments in science, nutrition, and a lot more. 
    • Military Association — In 1747, Franklin helped start a Military Association in Philadelphia that was separate from the government. He pursued this because the Philadelphia government wasn’t acting in response to various colonial wars that had broken out between France and Britain. More than 10,000 men volunteered, but by the summer of 1748, the military disbanded because the threat of war was over. 
    • Night Watchman Corps — In 1752, Franklin’s proposal for a night watchman crew (police patrols) to fend off gangs and keep the town safe was passed in the local Assembly. In his proposal, Franklin advocated for a progressive property tax that would go toward funding the police. 
  • Bradford vs. Franklin — As mentioned earlier, Franklin’s newspaper was one of just two in Philadelphia. His rival was Andrew Bradford, who ran the other paper. Throughout Franklin’s career, he and Bradford went head-to-head. Franklin eventually won from Bradford the right to distribute newspapers in the Philadelphia area, which gave him the edge and allowed him to block Bradford’s paper from being widely distributed. Both men also started their own magazines. These were the first magazines in U.S. history, but both of them failed inside of 6 months. 
  • Sally Franklin — In 1743, the Franklins had another child, a daughter named Sarah (Sally). This was 11 years after the birth and tragic death of their son, Franky. Sally did not receive a formal education, but was very smart and charmed both of her parents. 
  • Accumulating Wealth & Retirement — By 1748, Franklin’s had built a successful media conglomerate. He had a printing press, publishing house, newspaper, an almanac series, and partial control of the postal (distribution) system. He was also smart about investing his money in Philadelphia property. As he said, “I experienced the truth of the observation that, after getting the first £100, it is more easy to get the second.” He was thriving, and decided to retire at the age of 42 to pursue other interests like science, politics, and more. 
  • Chapter Takeaway — Franklin’s desire to do good to honor God was the foundation of many of his civic accomplishments. He was always eager to help society, and the many volunteer associations he helped organize and bring to life are an example of that ambition. 

Ch. 6: Scientist and Inventor

  • Franklin the Scientist — Franklin really dipped deep into science in the 1740s. He lacked the academic training, and desire, to create robust theories, so he was a very practical scientist, meaning many of his discoveries came from physically trying things, testing his hunches, and tinkering with objects. During his life, he was celebrated as the most famous scientist alive. In addition to his discoveries on electricity, a few of his notable achievements include:
    • Dark Fabrics & Heat — Franklin discovered that dark fabrics absorb heat better than bright ones. This is why you want to avoid wearing dark clothes in hot temperatures. 
    • Wood-burning Stove — Franklin designed a wood-burning stove that could be built into fireplaces to maximize heat while minimizing smoke.  Basically, the fire in the fireplace would heat the stove, and a channel connected to the stove would send the smoke out of the house through the chimney. It ended up not working as well as he wanted, but “Franklin Stoves” are still very popular, even today. 
    • Urinary Catheter — Franklin designed and built the first urinary catheter in America after his brother became ill and needed one. 
    • Weather — In 1743, Franklin compared weather observations in letters he received from friends in other colonies. He was one of the first to observe that North American storms tend to move from west to east, and predicted that a storm’s course could be plotted. This discovery was the beginning of the science of weather prediction. 
  • Playing With Electricity — In the mid-1740s, Franklin began playing with electricity, which to that point was still a big mystery in the world. His eventual discovery that the generation of a positive charge was accompanied by the generation of an equal negative charge became known as the conservation of charge and the single-fluid theory of electricity. Until then, electricity had been thought to involve two types of fluids, called vitreous and resinous, that could be created independently. This was a huge breakthrough and discovery.
    • Quote (P. 135): “It was a breakthrough of historic proportions. ‘As a broad generalization that has withstood the test of 200 years of fruitful application,’ Harvard professor I. Bernard Cohen has pronounced, ‘Franklin’s law of conservation of charge must be considered to be of the same fundamental importance to physical science as Newton’s law of conservation of momentum.’”
    • Quote (P. 144): “He was one of the foremost scientists of his age, and he conceived and proved one of the most fundamental concepts about nature: that electricity is a single fluid.”
  • The Electric Battery — During his experiments with electricity, Franklin played around with capturing charges in what was called a Leyden jar. With this jar and others like it, Franklin found that “positive” charges resided on one side and “negative” charges on the other side of the jar. Franklin discovered that by linking multiple jars together with wire he could increase the amount of charge they could store. He called this new assembly of Leyden jars a “battery,” and he is credited as being the first to use the term in relation to electricity. 
  • Lightning ⚡️ — In the journal he kept for his experiments, Franklin noted in November 1749 some intriguing similarities between electrical sparks and lightning. He listed 12 of them, including “1. Giving light. 2. Color of the light. 3. Crooked directions. 4. Swift motion. 5. Being conducted by metals. 6. Crack or noise in exploding … 9. Destroying animals … 12. Sulpherous smell.”  These observations led him to theorize that lightning was basically electricity in the sky. In other words, lightning is the electrical “shock” we sometimes feel when we touch something, but on a much larger scale. A few notes on this discovery:
    • Tall, Pointy Objects — Throughout his experiments on electricity, even at ground level in his Leyden jars, Franklin found that skinny, sharp objects tend to draw sparks while blunt objects do not. As he said, “electrical fluid is attracted by points.” This is why tall, pointy objects tend to get hit by lightning. For example, the Empire State Building’s website reports that the building gets hit by lightning 25 times per year. This pointy object finding is why baseball games are delayed during storms (baseball bats are skinny, pointy objects). It’s also why you don’t want to be under a tree when lightning is around (tall pointy branches attract lightning).
      • Quote (P. 138): “Franklin first sketched out his theories about lightning in April 1749, just before his end-of-season turkey fry. The water vapors in a cloud can be electrically charged, he surmised, and the positive ones will separate from the negative ones. When such ‘electrified clouds pass over,’ he added, ‘high trees, lofty towers, spires, masts of ships… draw the electrical fire and the whole cloud discharges.’ It was not a bad guess, and it led to some practical advice: ‘Dangerous therefore it is to take shelter under a tree during a thunder gust.’
    • Theory Is Proven — On May 10, 1752 in Marley, France, Franklin’s theory was confirmed when a storm cloud passed over and a soldier was able to draw sparks from his lightning rod as Franklin had predicted. An excited local citizen grabbed the insulated wire and repeated the experiment six times, shocking himself once but surviving to celebrate the success. Within weeks it was replicated dozens of times across France. Franklin became an international sensation.
    • Famous Kite Experiment — At about the same time as the French confirmed Franklin’s theory, Franklin himself confirmed his hypothesis using a kite. He attached a sharp, tall wire to the top of his kite and was able to generate a few sparks from a passing cloud during a thunderstorm. He then took a few of the charges he collected from his kite, put them in a Leyden jar, and found they had the same qualities as electricity produced in a lab. So, lightning is electricity in the air.
    • Lightning Rods — After Franklin’s theories were confirmed, cities around the world erected on high buildings lightning rods made of materials like copper to direct and absorb lightning strikes: Rather than hitting towns and killing people, lightning hits the rods, and the current is transported safely down to the ground via wires. Prior to Franklin’s discoveries, lightning had destroyed towns and killed countless people. People were scared to death of it.
  • Summarizing Franklin’s Discoveries on Electricity —  If I have this right, Franklin basically created the battery and discovered that you need a positive (+) and negative (-) charge to make electricity, and you need to balance them to make it work (this is why you need the ends of batteries to face opposite directions when you plug them into a device). These findings were the result of his discovery that electricity is made of one fluid, not two. He also correctly theorized and proved (via his kite experiment) that lightning is basically electricity in the air. When you get “shocked”, you get hit by a flash of electricity (electrical spark). That same thing is what happens, on a much larger scale, when a lightning bolt explodes out of the sky. This discovery was monumental, and led cities around the world to install on high buildings lightning rods to direct and absorb lightning.
    • Quote (P. 144): “He (Franklin) was a practical experimenter more than a systematic theorist. As with his moral and religious philosophy, Franklin’s scientific work was distinguished less for its abstract theoretical sophistication than for its focus on finding out facts and putting them to use.” 
    • Quote (P. 144): “Nor should we underestimate the practical significance of proving that lightning, once a deadly mystery, was a form of electricity that could be tamed. Few scientific discoveries have been of such immediate service to humanity. The great German philosopher Immanuel Kant called him (Franklin) the ‘new Prometheus’ for stealing the fire of heaven.”
  • Chapter Takeaway — Franklin was not a dedicated scientist; science was more of a side hobby that he enjoyed in his free time. He was a printer and businessman, first. That said, his contributions to science were historic. His discovery that electricity is a single fluid, as well as his findings about lightning, made him the most famous scientist of his time. 

Ch. 7: Politician

  • Interesting Fact — Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and William & Mary were all established universities in the 1700s when Franklin was alive. They are among the oldest and most historic universities in the U.S. Franklin later went on to found the University of Pennsylvania, which is one of the Ivy League schools along with a few listed above. 
  • University of Pennsylvania — In 1751, Franklin helped propose, raise money for, and open what later became the University of Pennsylvania, which was the first nonsectarian college in America. He was elected president of the board and served as a trustee for the rest of his life. 
  • Franklin’s Political Views — Like his views on religion and science, Franklin was a practical political thinker. Rather than theories, he was most interested in policies and beliefs that were going to affect behavior in society. Not awed by rank, he was eager to avoid importing to America the rigid class structure of England. Instead, he praised the diligence of the middle class of tradesmen, shopkeepers, and leather-aprons. Out of this arose a vision of America as a nation where people, whatever their birth or social class, could rise (as he did) to wealth and status based on their willingness to work hard, their ambition, and their diligence. 
  • Uniting the Colonies — Franklin, boosted by the fame and success he achieved as a printer and scientist, became a member of the Philadelphia Assembly in 1751. One of his initial passions involved uniting the colonies. At that time, all of the different towns and discovered areas in the U.S. were independent. The French were beginning to take over and establish dominance over unsettled land and territory, and Franklin believed that uniting the colonies would provide the power and defense needed to fend them off.
    • Quote (P. 158): “Their goal (the French) was to confine the British settlers to the East Coast by building a series of forts along the Ohio River that would create a French arc from Canada to Louisiana. In response, Virginia’s governor sent a promising young soldier named George Washington to the Ohio valley in late 1753 to demand that the French vacate. He failed, but his vivid account of the mission made him a hero and a colonel. The following spring, he began a series of haphazard raids against the French forts that would grow into a full-scale war (French-Indian War).”
  • The Albany Conference — The British Empire, which at that time ruled most of the North American colonies, in 1754 asked each colony to send delegates to a conference in Albany, New York, where they would discuss several things, including uniting. Franklin was one of the four commissioners selected to represent the colony of Philadelphia at the Albany Conference. There, he pitched his plan for uniting the colonies under the British Empire (details of his plan are in the quotes below) and explained why he believed the French success was due to the fact that the colonies were not united. His plan was passed by the commissioners at the conference, but it was rejected by all of the colonial assemblies and by the Parliament in London. Therefore it never moved forward. Partly as a result, the French-Indian War broke out not long after that.
    • Quote (P. 158): “In his letter to Parker, Franklin sketched out a structure for colonial cooperation: there should be, he said, a General Council with delegates from all the colonies, in rough proportion to the amount each paid in taxes to the general treasury, and a governor appointed by the king. The meeting sites should rotate among the various colonial capitals, so delegates could better understand the rest of America, and money would be raised by a tax on liquor.”
    • Quote (P. 160): “There would be a national congress composed of representatives selected by each state roughly in proportion to their population and wealth. The executive would be a ‘President General’ appointed by the king. At its core was a somewhat new concept that became known as federalism. A ‘General Government’ would handle matters such as national defense and westward expansion, but each colony would keep its own constitution and local governing power. Though he was sometimes dismissed as more of a practitioner than a visionary, Franklin in Albany had helped to devise a federal concept — orderly, balanced, and enlightened — that would eventually form the basis for a unified American nation.”
      • Takeaway — Although it was rejected at the time, Franklin’s Albany plan for uniting the colonies would later become the foundation of our Constitution. At the time of the Albany plan, Franklin was in favor of uniting the colonies under British rule; he was not in favor of the colonies uniting and becoming independent of the British Empire. He changed his outlook on that, however, later on in the 1770s after British Parliament began taxing the colonies without representation. 
    • Quote (P. 161): “Looking back on it near the end of his life, Franklin was convinced that the acceptance of his Albany Plan could have prevented the Revolution and created a harmonious empire.”
  • Chapter Takeaway — Although it didn’t end up paying off, the Albany Conference in 1754 was one of the first occasions where Franklin made a significant push to unite the colonies (which, again, were under control of the British). The French were beginning to take over, and Franklin felt that if the North American colonies joined together, they would all be better off and more secure. 

Ch. 8: Troubled Waters

  • Return to London — Franklin’s return to London in 1757 came at the age of 51 and was almost 33 years after his first visit there as a teenager. His mission there was primarily to persuade the British Empire to help rally the Northern American colonies into one unit and push the French away. He initially thought he’d be there five months, but he ended up staying more than five years, and then, after a brief return back home, another ten. 
  • The Penn Family & Proprietorship — One of Franklin’s other major reasons for returning to London was to get the British Empire’s support in helping Pennsylvania break free of the Penn family’s Proprietor rule. Basically, Pennsylvania was a Proprietary colony, which meant that it was governed by a private family that owned most of the unsettled land. In 1681, King Charles II granted such a charter to William Penn, in repayment of a debt. A majority of the colonies started out as Proprietary ones, but by the 1720s most had become Royal colonies directly ruled by the king and his ministers. Only Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware remained under their Proprietors until the Revolution. 
  • Battling the Penns — There were two reasons that Franklin wanted to help Pennsylvania break free from the Penn family: (i) They weren’t allowing the governor of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Assembly to run the show; and (ii) They were demanding to be exempt from paying taxes that affected everyone else in the colony, which was unfair. In August 1757, Franklin began a series of meetings with the primary Proprietor, Thomas Penn, William Penn’s son. Franklin presented a report detailing his issues on behalf of the people of Philadelphia. Long story short, the meetings were nasty and Franklin was only able to get the Proprietors to compromise slightly on issue No. 2 (taxation).
  • Stripping the Penns of Proprietorship — After his attempts at getting the Penn family/the Proprietors to compromise on his two main issues failed, Franklin set his eyes instead on trying to strip them of their proprietorship status altogether, effectively making Pennsylvania a royal colony under the king of England and his ministers. This was how most of the colonies at the time were. Only Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware remained under Proprietor rule at the time. 
  • Canada & The Empire — By 1761, the French and Indian War had pretty much ended, and England had captured Canada and a few Caribbean islands. Franklin was adamant about wanting Britain to keep control of Canada, rather than relenting and allowing France regain control of it again. He felt strongly about this issue because he felt it would allow Britain to continue to expand its empire while also protecting the American colonies from harassment by the French and their Indian allies. 
  • William Temple Franklin — In 1760, Franklin’s illegitimate son, William, followed in his father’s footsteps by having an illegitimate son of his own named William Temple Franklin, who they called Temple. William decided to have Temple raised by a foster family, but Franklin eventually became very involved in Temple’s life. Later on, Temple became a huge point of contention between Franklin and William.
    • Quote (P. 199): “Temple would eventually become a treasured grandchild to Benjamin Franklin, who oversaw his education and then brought him under his wing as a personal secretary. Later, when his grandfather and father were on opposite sides during the Revolutionary War, Temple would become a pawn in a heart-wrenching struggle for his loyalty and devotion, one that Benjamin Franklin would win at great personal cost. But for the time being, he was kept out of sight while William enjoyed the social whirl of London and more excursions with his celebrated father.”
  • William Becomes Governor of New Jersey — In 1762, William, who was 31-years-old, became the royal governor of New Jersey. This was at the same time he and Franklin arrived home following their five-year stay in London (William had joined his father on that trip, birthed an illegitimate son, and left the son, Temple, behind in England). William also married an upper-class wife. Both of these developments went against what Franklin wanted for William, which was to avoid politics and to stay in the middle class. These two developments were the catalyst for what would eventually become an ugly falling out between the father and son. 
  • Chapter Takeaway — Franklin’s five-year trip to London produced mixed results. He wasn’t able to convince the royal government to help unite the American colonies, and his takedown of the Penn family and Pennsylvania Proprietors had failed for the most part (other than getting them to compromise slightly on the issue of paying property taxes like everybody else in the colony). This was also the period where his relationship with his son, William, became strained. 

Ch. 9: Home Leave

  • Back Home — Now back home after his five-year stay in England, Franklin once again battled with the Proprietors in Pennsylvania, led by the Penn family. Franklin’s goal, which started in England, was to strip the Proprietors of their charter and make Pennsylvania a royal colony under the British Empire (as most of the other American colonies were). He was tired of trying to limit their power; now he wanted to remove it altogether.
  • Stripping the Proprietors: Part II — In 1764, there was a new round of Philadelphia Assembly elections. Franklin was up for reelection in his position. He lost easily, but most of his allies in the Assembly were able to keep their positions, and therefore the Assembly was able to vote to send Franklin back to England to present his petition to remove the Proprietors’ charter and make Pennsylvania a royal colony. Remember, Franklin had already tried to accomplish this in his last visit to England. There wasn’t much support for the idea there, but he was basically asked to return there to try again. 
  • Uniting the Colonies: Part II — In addition to stripping the Proprietors of their charter Franklin had an even bigger goal, which was to unite the American colonies under the British Empire. Like his first goal regarding the Proprietors, he had been trying this for a while, dating back to his Albany Conference plan. Now heading back to England again, he wanted to give it another try.
    • Quote (P. 218): “Franklin had been developing a vision of an American future that went beyond even wrestling Pennsylvania from the Proprietors. It involved a greater union among the colonies, along the lines of his Albany Plan, and a more equal relationship between the colonies and the mother country as part of a greater British Empire. That could include, he suggested, representation in Parliament. Responding to reports that Britain might propose taxes on the colonies, he wrote to Richard Jackson, whom he had left behind in London as Pennsylvania’s other agent, a suggested response: ‘If you choose to tax us, give us members in your legislature, and let us be one people.’”
  • Chapter Takeaway — Franklin’s return home was brief and featured more clashes with the Pennsylvania Proprietors. It ended with the Assembly voting to send him back to England to attempt once again his two big goals: (i) strip the Proprietors of their charter; or (ii) unite the colonies under the British Empire. 

Ch. 10: Agent Provocateur

  • Back to England — In 1765, Franklin was back in England, where he would spend the next 10 years until the eve of the Revolution. He settled back into his normal life that he enjoyed during his last stay in England. He also reunited with Temple Franklin, his grandson. Franklin took care of Temple, provided him with an education, and generally took him under his wing while his Dad (William) was serving as the governor in New Jersey. Looking to shield Temple from the public to some degree, they called him “William Temple.” Interestingly, today there is a finance firm called William Templeton Investments. 
  • The Stamp Act of 1765 — The Stamp Act of 1765 basically required a tax stamp on every newspaper, book, almanac, legal document, and deck of cards. It was levied on the American colonies by the British Empire in response to the high cost of the Indian wars; the British government had to get some money back for providing defense. Franklin made the mistake of supporting the act, which made people in the colonies furious because he was in England to represent them. Mobs rallied in Philadelphia, and people tried to take down Franklin’s house, even though he was in England at this time. 
  • The Stamp Act: A Major Impact — In a lot of ways, the Stamp Act was a turning point in history. The act had been proposed and passed by Parliament in England, and the American colonies really had no say in whether or not it was voted through. They basically taxed without having any say (representation in Parliament). As a result, people in the colonies were furious and began to feel more open to uniting as one and breaking free from the British Empire altogether. This was one of the first events that began to inspire that thinking. To recap, Franklin had always wanted the American colonies to unite, but he visualized the united colonies staying under the rule of the British Empire with representation in Parliament (which they did not have at this time). The Stamp Act began to inspire leaders in the colonies to unite and break free of the British Empire.
    • Quote (P. 225): “The Stamp Act crisis sparked a radical transformation in American affairs. A new group of colonial leaders, who bristled at being subservient to England, were coming to the fore, especially in Virginia and Massachusetts.”
    • Quote (P. 225): “For the first time since the Albany Conference of 1754, leaders from different parts of America were galvanized into thinking as a collective unit… The motto they adopted was the one Franklin had written as a cartoon caption more than a decade earlier, as he sought to rally unity at Albany: ‘Join, or Die?’”
  • Stamp Act Repealed — Realizing he messed up, Franklin did everything possible to help repeal the Stamp Act. The defining moment came in 1766, when Franklin, representing the American colonies, went before Parliament and delivered passionate testimony about how the Stamp Act had produced significant animosity toward England from the people in the colonies. He successfully made a case that the Stamp Act was a bad idea. Parliament ended up repealing the Stamp Act, which completely restored Franklin’s reputation in the colonies.
    • Quote (P. 31): “Famed in Britain as a writer and scientist, he was now widely recognized as America’s most effective spokesman. He also became, in effect, the ambassador for America in general; besides representing Pennsylvania, he was soon named the agent for Georgia, and then New Jersey and Massachusetts.”
  • Surrogate Family — One of the reasons Franklin was somewhat distant with his family in Philadelphia was that he had built a “comparable” family in England. Although he never divorced his wife, Deborah, he moved in with a woman named Margaret Stevenson on Craven Street in London while he was in England for all of those years. He became very close with Margaret’s daughter, Polly, and basically considered her his own daughter. Being close with the Stevensons made him feel at home, which led to his feeling that he didn’t need to rush back to Pennsylvania to be with his actual wife, daughter, and son. It was a strange situation. 
  • The Townshend Duties — In 1767, not long after repealing the Stamp Act, the British Parliament was at it again. Parliament passed the Townshend Duties, which were taxes on the colonies for things like glass, paper, china, paint colors, and tea. Once again, the American colonies were outraged. Starting with the Stamp Act and continuing with the Townshend Duties, the colonies were becoming open to breaking free of British rule entirely. After the colonies expressed outrage, Parliament decided to scale back the Townshend Duties to only include taxes on tea, which still didn’t sit well with the colonies and later led to the Boston Tea Party. Serious friction was developing. 
  • Franklin, The Townshend Duties, and Moderation — Like the Stamp Act, Franklin seemed to take a middle-ground stance on the Townshend Duties, which upset the colonies because he was there to represent them in London. The dilemma that continued to hurt Franklin was that he loved both places: Britain (where he was born) and the American colonies (where he spent most of his life). He ideally wanted the colonies to unite together (which they still hadn’t done at this time) under British rule with representation in Parliament (which they did not have at the time). However, with the Townshend Duties, he was beginning to see that his hopes were not likely.
    • Quote (P. 249): “Franklin had finally caught up with the more ardent patriotism spreading through the colonies, most notably Massachusetts. Writing to Samuel Cooper, a Boston minister, he declared that Parliament had no authority to tax the colonies or order British troops there: ‘In truth they have no such right, and their claim is founded only on usurpation.’”
  • Franklin’s Turning Point — A turning point for Franklin was reached when Lord Hillsborough, secretary of state of the ministry in Parliament that oversaw colonial affairs, did not allow him a spot in that ministry (as Franklin was hoping for) and told him that his dreams of stripping the Proprietors in Pennsylvania of their charter was not going to happen. With these two goals dashed, he abandoned his moderate stance (wanting the best for Britain and the American colonies) and began to lean toward the side of the colonies. He was now in favor of helping the colonies fight for true independence from the British, a mindset that was developing in the colonies, especially in Boston, where the Sons of Liberty led by Samuel Adams were building momentum. 
  • The Stamp Act & Townshend Duties — Looking back, these two initiatives were where the American colonies began to have issues with British rule. Up to that point, things were pretty peaceful; the colonies were happy to be protected under the British. When it came to both of these initiatives, what made the colonies so pissed off with Britain was that Parliament was taxing them for its own benefit, and the colonies had no say in the matter because they didn’t have any representation in Parliament. Britain was also deploying troops to the colonies to enforce the taxes, one of the reasons the Boston Massacre happened. 
  • The Boston Massacre — The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770 in response to the Townshend Duties and the severe friction that was developing between the colonies and Britain. A young apprentice in Boston insulted one of the British officers sent to enforce the Townshend Duties, a fight broke out, bells rang, and a swarm of armed and angry Bostonians came out in force. “Fire and be damned,” the crowd taunted. The British soldiers did. Five Americans ended up dead in what soon became known as the Boston Massacre.
  • American Colonies Growing Fast — One of the reasons the colonies were comfortable standing up to Britain during the Stamp Act and Townshend Duties period was that they were growing much faster than Britain was. It was only a matter of time before the colonies, if united, could overtake Britain. Franklin laid this out to the British by writing a parable about a young lion cub and a large British dog. The dog picked on the lion cub and “frequently took its food by force.” But the lion grew and eventually became stronger than the dog. One day, in response to all the insults, it smashed the dog with “a stunning blow,” leaving the dog “regretting that he had not rather secured its friendship than provoked its enmity.”
    • Quote (P. 248): “Throughout 1769, Franklin became increasingly worried that the situation (growing friction caused by the Stamp Act and Townshend Duties) would lead to a rupture. America could not be subjugated by British troops, he argued, and it soon would be strong enough to win its own independence. If that happened, Britain would be sorry that it missed the opportunity to create a system of imperial harmony.”
  • Chapter Takeaway — A storm was beginning to brew between the American colonies and Britain’s Parliament with the passing of the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Townshend Duties. These two initiatives began to attract the colonies to the idea of uniting together and separating away from Britain altogether. Because he loved both places, Franklin took a fairly moderate stance as these two initiatives were being passed, but he eventually began to sway toward the side of the colonies. 

Ch. 11: Rebel

  • Interesting Fact — Oil, even just a tiny amount of something like sunflower oil, poured on the surface of choppy water will smooth the surface almost immediately. Franklin noticed this throughout his life on his various trips across the Atlantic Ocean. This is known as the oil-on-water calming effect. Franklin noted that just a teaspoon of oil can calm a half-acre of choppy water. 
  • The Autobiography — In 1771, at the age of 65, Franklin began writing his famed autobiography, titled The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, which was later shorted to The Autobiography. In it, Franklin writes of his youth, his career, his mindset, and more, using stories from his life to teach lessons of personal development. The book famously starts as a letter to is son, William (“Dear son,…”), but Franklin wrote it for public consumption as well. William was age 40 and still the governor of New Jersey at the time. Franklin wrote the first installment in three weeks, and later added three more installments. It has been published in almost every language and is considered the world’s most popular autobiography.
    • Quote (P. 255): “His goal, he declared, was to describe how he rose from obscurity to prominence and to provide some useful hints about how he succeeded, expressing hope that others might find them suitable to be imitated.”
  • More Science & Invention — In addition to his discoveries around electricity and the calming effect of oil on water, Franklin also contributed a few findings on other scientific matters. A few of the notable findings include:
    • Cause of Colds — Although germs and viruses had yet to be discovered, Franklin was one of the first to argue that colds and flu were spread by contagion rather than cold air. The reason colds are more prevalent in the winter is due to the close-quarter nature of conversations, not the cold air. In the winter, especially in cold places along the east coast, temperatures are so low that everyone is driven inside. Conversations and exchanges take place in close quarters, and people aren’t able to spend as much time outside in the fresh air. Everybody breathes in germs and transpiration from other people around them, allowing colds to easily pass from one person to the next. Franklin argued that the best defense against colds is fresh air; throughout his life he liked good ventilation and open windows, even in the winter. 
    • Study of Exercise — Franklin argued that one way to prevent colds is through regular exercise because of its ability to heat the body. The best way to measure exercise, he argued, was not by its duration but “by the degree of warmth it produces in the body.” This was one of the first theories linking exercise to calories of heat.
  • Franklin’s Social Philosophy — Franklin’s social outlook contained a mix of liberal, populist, and conservative ideas. Above all, he favored the middle-class and believed that the middle-class was the backbone of any nation. He promoted the virtues of frugality, hard work, and civic duties that aided society. He did not believe in welfare policies to support the poor because he thought they promoted laziness. Unlike some, he didn’t believe the rich were the reason that poor people existed; he believed that the rich actually aided the poor because they spent money in the economy, which provided opportunities for poor people to engage in work and labor. At the same time, he believed that people who acquired more wealth than they needed had a duty to help others and to create civic institutions that promoted the success of others.
  • Franklin & Slavery — Up to this point, Franklin had not yet put is foot down on slavery.  Franklin owned slaves throughout his life, but eventually evolved to the point of promoting the complete abolishment of slavery. The American colonies were the only place where slaves were in use; slavery didn’t exist in England. One in nine American families owned at least one slave in 1790.
  • The Boston Tea Party — In addition to the Townshend Duties on tea, the British Parliament added to its taxes on tea by passing the Tea Act of 1773, which basically gave the corrupt East India Company a monopoly over the trade by allowing it to sell tea in the colonies without paying taxes that other importers in the colonies now had to pay. Franklin urged calm, but the radicals of Boston, led by Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty, did not. On December 16, 1773, after a mass rally in the Old South Church, 50 patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians went down to the load area and dumped 342 chests of East India Company tea worth £10,000 sent into the sea. 
  • Fallout of the Boston Tea Party — The Boston Tea Party was yet another mark of the American colonies’ continued frustration with the British Empire. The British Empire considered the event an act of treason and in 1774 passed the Intolerable Acts, which, among other provisions, ended self-government in Massachusetts and closed commerce in Boston by blocking the city’s ports with British ships in Boston Harbor. All of this helped rally the 13 American colonies together against the British Empire and eventually led to the start of the American Revolution. 
  • Franklin vs. William — At the heart of the ugly falling out between Franklin and his son William was the father and son duo’s difference in mindset. William was loyal to the British Empire because that’s who he served in his position as the governor of New Jersey. After numerous attempts at trying to keep peace between Britain and the American colonies, Franklin finally started to side with the colonies and believed what the British Parliament was doing to the colonies (via taxation without representation and sending military troops to enforce the taxes) was wrong. Franklin also valued the middle-class, while William became strongly associated with the wealthy. The difference in approach led to friction between the two. 
  • Chapter Takeaway — The Boston Tea Party led by the Sons of Liberty was a major event leading up to the American Revolution. It was one of the last straws in the relationship between the two countries. The American colonies had had enough of the British Empire taxing them without representation in Parliament and began to long for independence. Franklin had done his best to maintain peace between the two sides, but he now acknowledged that the British Empire was wrong and sided with the colonies. 

Ch. 12: Independence

  • The Revolution Begins — The American Revolution, the colonies’ fight for independence from the British Empire, officially began in April 1775, when a contingent of British redcoats headed north from Boston to arrest the tea party planners Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Paul Revere spread the alarm with his famous midnight ride to alert the colonial members that the British were coming. When the redcoats reached Lexington, 70 American “minutemen” were there to meet them. Eight Americans were killed in the standoff, but over 250 redcoats were killed or wounded by the colonial militia on the mission. In June, the bloody Battle of Bunker Hill and the burning of Charleston took place, further igniting the Revolution.
    • Quote (P. 291): “America was indeed arming and preparing. Among those arriving in Philadelphia that week, with his uniform packed and ready, was Franklin’s old military comrade, George Washington, who had become a plantation squire in Virginia after the French and Indian War.”
  • Franklin Chooses Independence — As mentioned earlier, Franklin’s love of both England and the American colonies led him to want the colonies to unite under British rule. He wanted the best of both worlds. But as the British Parliament began to tax the colonies without representation, he started to change his mind and advocate for complete independence for the colonies. By 1775, he was completely on the side of independence. There were many specific events involving Britain that pushed Franklin across the line to rebellion: personal slights, dashed hopes, betrayals, and the accretion of hostile British acts, like taxation without representation.
    • Quote (P. 295): “For a long time he (Franklin) had cherished a vision of imperial harmony in which Britain and America could both flourish in one great expanding empire. But he felt that it would work only if Britain stopped subjugating Americans through mercantile trading rules and taxes imposed from afar. Once it was clear that Britain remained intent on subordinating its colonies, the only course left was independence. The bloody Battle of Bunker Hill and the burning of Charleston, both in June 1775, further inflamed the hostility that Franklin and his fellow patriots felt toward the British.”
  • Franklin’s Articles of Confederation — For the colonies to become independent of the British Empire (the Crown), they needed to begin thinking of themselves as a new nation. In 1775, Franklin drafted something similar to his Albany Plan from the 1750s that was designed to do that: The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union that he presented to the colonial Congress, like his Albany Plan, contained the seeds of the great conceptual breakthrough that would eventually define America’s federal system: a division of powers between a central government and those of the states. He drafted this document to help accelerate the colonies’ push for independence from the Crown.
    • Quote (P. 300): “Under Franklin’s proposal, the Congress would have only a single chamber, in which there would be proportional representation from each state based on population. It would have the power to levy taxes, make war, manage the military, enter into foreign alliances, settle disputes between colonies, form new colonies, issue a unified currency, establish a postal system, regulate commerce, and enact laws ‘necessary to the general welfare.’ Franklin also proposed that, instead of a single president, the Congress appoint a twelve-person ‘executive council’ whose members would serve for staggered three-year terms.”
    • Quote (P. 300): “As Franklin fully realized, this (his Articles of Confederation draft) pretty much amounted to a declaration of independence from Britain and a declaration of dependence by the colonies on each other, neither of which had widespread support yet.”
  • Franklin’s Roles in the Revolution — Among his many duties during the Revolution, Franklin, who was now back in America, served as America’s postmaster general, was responsible for establishing a system of paper currency, collected lead for munitions, helped manufacture gunpowder, and was made president of Pennsylvania’s defense committee. 
  • Thomas Jefferson & The Declaration of Independence — To break free from the Crown (British Empire), the colonies had to take the leap by declaring their independence. As the Confederate Congress prepared to vote on the question of independence, it appointed a committee to draft a declaration that explained the decision. Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. At 33-years-old, and as chairman of the committee, Jefferson got the honor of drafting the document on his own.
    • Quote (P. 310): “And thus it was that Jefferson had the glorious honor of composing, on a little lap desk he had designed, some of the most famous phrases in history while sitting alone in a second-floor room of a home on Market Street just a block from Franklin’s home.”
  • Editing The Declaration — Franklin’s role in the creation of the Declaration of Independence was mainly that of an editor. He reviewed Thomas Jefferson’s draft and made a few minor revisions. His most significant change involved changing Jefferson’s line: “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable” to “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” This line is one of the more famous lines in the entire document. 
  • Independence Day: The United States Is Born — With a Declaration of Independence now ready, the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776 finally took a vote on independence. All 13 colonies had a vote. It passed, almost unanimously. By July 4, 1776, it was official: The United States had been formed and the required parties signed the Declaration of Independence. Even up until this date, and even though the Revolutionary War had been underway for some time already, there was still some uncertainty about whether the colonies were going to vote to become independent of the British Empire. The only colony to vote against it was New York. July 4, 1776 was Independence Day, America’s birthday.
  • Interesting Fact — The president of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution was John Hancock. Serving in that position, he was among the few who were able to sign the Declaration of Independence when the official vote for independence was cemented on July 2, 1776. He is primarily remembered by Americans for his large, flamboyant signature on the Declaration, so much so that “John Hancock” became an informal synonym for signature: “Let me get your John Hancock on here.” 
  • The Articles of Confederation — Having declared the collective colonies a new nation with the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress now needed to create, from scratch, a new system of government. So it began work on what would become the Articles of Confederation. The document was not completed until late 1777, and it would take another four years before all the colonies ratified it, but the basic principles were decided during the weeks following the declaration of independence.
  • Off to France — In October 1776, Franklin set sail for Paris with his grandsons, Temple (17) and Benny (7). He was being sent to Paris by the Continental Congress, which wanted him to go over there as a representative of America to talk with French leaders and potentially form an alliance with the country. France was enjoying a rare peace with Britain, and the American Congress recognized that an alliance with France was going to be needed to win the Revolutionary War with Britain. 
  • Chapter Takeaway — The American Revolution officially started in 1775. On July 4, 1776, the United States officially became its own independent nation after the 13 colonies, almost unanimously, voted in favor of it. Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence was then signed by the relevant parties, including Continental Congress president, John Hancock. Although the vote technically took place on July 2, July 4, 1776 is known as Independence Day (America’s birthday) because that is when the vote became official. 

Ch. 13: Courtier

  • Ladies’ Man — Throughout his life, Franklin developed strange relationships with women. Even as a married man to Deborah Franklin, he used to engage in flirtatious relationships with other women, some of them much younger than him. There’s no evidence that any of them turned sexual, but he was very friendly with many women outside of his marriage. This penchant for relationships with the opposite sex was exemplified by the surrogate families he developed while he was away in England and France. 
  • Targeting France — For eight years, Franklin slowly and methodically worked on France in an effort to get them to ally with the newly formed United States in the Revolutionary War with Britain. The task was tough, but the Americans needed France’s aid and military to win. France, which for 440 years regularly engaged in wars with Britain, was finally at peace with the Brits. The French had no good reason to abandon the peace they were enjoying with Britain. But Franklin was revered in France. His reputation had earned him tremendous respect and notoriety with the people there. He was able to convince French leaders to help the U.S.
  • Edward Bancroft: Spy — Interestingly, Franklin appointed Edward Bancroft to the position of secretary of the American delegation in 1776. He didn’t realize it at the time, and it took historians another 100 years to find out, but Bancroft was a spy for the British Empire. Every week while working with Franklin in Paris, Bancroft would provide his secret reports to Britain by writing between the lines of fake love letters in an invisible ink. The British spymasters had a special chemical wash that could make the writing visible. The reports were filled with sensitive information on the activities of the Americans in Paris, the discussions they held with French ministers, the schedules of arms shipments being sent to America, and other military matters. 
  • Franklin the Diplomat — Franklin turned out to be an excellent diplomat, one of the best in the history of America. America NEEDED France. Franklin came through by successfully making the case that England was a natural enemy of France and it was in the best interest of France to try to cripple England by embracing the newly formed United States. At first, King Louis XVI was hesitant to back America in full, so he began by secretly lending support and aid to America in the form of loans and by allowing American merchant ships to use France’s ports. But after Franklin cleverly made France think America and Britain were close to making up and joining together to attack French territory in the West Indies, France agreed to recognize America as a new nation and form a full-fledged alliance with it. 
  • America and France: An Allegiance Is Formed — Following Franklin’s heroic diplomatic efforts, and America’s huge win over Britain at the Battle of Saratoga, France agreed to form a full-fledged alliance with America against Britain.  Interestingly, just prior to the two nations striking an agreement, Britain tried to coddle America into a truce, one that would have the colonies return to their position under British rule. The Americans seriously considered it because they knew they needed help. But when France agreed to an alliance, Franklin, as well as the Continental Congress back in Philadelphia, immediately agreed to move forward with France. The treaties of friendship and alliance were signed in Paris in February 1778.
    • Quote (P. 249): “At the very least, it can be said that Franklin’s triumph permitted America the possibility of an outright victory in its war for independence while conceding no lasting entanglements that would encumber it as a new nation.”

Ch. 14: Bon Vivant

  • Family vs. Friends — Whether it was his time in America, England, or France, Franklin was always closer with other people than he was with his own family. He was sometimes rude to members of his family, while at the same time embracing close friends. As mentioned before, he was highly flirtatious with other women throughout his life. He adored his grandchildren (Temple, Benny, etc.) more than his own children. His family issues were highlighted by the ugly falling out he had with his son, William. 

Ch. 15: Peacemaker

  • Strapped For Cash — As the Revolutionary war waged on in 1780, America began to need cash desperately. If an infusion of cash wasn’t received quickly, they were likely going to have to surrender to Britain and rejoin them as colonies. Franklin, working with the French, asked for 25 million livres, which was about $130 million in today’s U.S. dollars. He ended up getting 6 million livres. The cash helped tremendously, and the war slowly began to tilt in favor of the Americans. 
  • Peace Commissioner — In March 1781, Franklin tried to resign from his position as head diplomat with France. He was old and burned out. The Continental Congress, however, refused and instead elected him one of five commissioners — alongside John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and a few others — to handle peace negotiations with Britain if and when the time came for an end to the war. Franklin knew it would be impossible to win at the negotiating table without another big win on the battlefield. Luckily, a big win on the battlefield came quickly (next bullet).
  • Battle of Yorktown — The Americans finally grabbed a stronghold on the Revolutionary War with a huge victory over Britain at the Battle of Yorktown in October 1781. French forces joined the Americans and helped defeat the Brits. It was a win that effectively ended the war and gave the U.S. the win after six years of fighting. Not long after, the existing Britain government body collapsed in March 1782, and peace talks began with Franklin leading the way for the Americans.
    • Quote (P. 398): “The British general Lord Cornwallis had marched north from Charleston, seeking to engage General Washington’s forces, and had taken his stand at Yorktown, Virginia. France’s support proved critical: Lafayette moved to Cornwallis’s southern flank to prevent a retreat, a French fleet arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake to preclude an escape by sea, French artillery arrived from Rhode Island, and nine thousand French soldiers joined eleven thousand Americans under General Washington’s command. Two four-hundred-man columns, one French and the other American, began the allied assault and bombardment, which continued day and night with such intensity that when Cornwallis sent out a drummer on October 17 to signal his willingness to surrender, it took a while for him to get noticed.”
  • Peace Negotiations Begin — Following America’s win at the Battle of Yorktown, in which France played a big supporting role, Franklin in 1782 began peace discussions with Britain. One of the big problems facing Franklin was that, in order to convince France to join as an ally, the newly-formed United States had agreed to include France in all future peace discussions with Britain. This meant that Franklin would have to do some tip-toeing in order to negotiate with Britain one-on-one. Having to navigate France while talking to Britain made things more difficult, but Franklin was able to set up private, secret meetings with Britain behind France’s back. 
  • Negotiating With Britain — Before any peace talks could begin between the two sides, Franklin and the Americans were adamant that Britain recognize the United States as an independent nation. Up until that point, even after the Americans had basically secured victory in the war, England still felt that America’s status as an independent nation was up for debate. Franklin and his team quickly made it clear that Britain would need to acknowledge America’s status as an independent nation before proceeding, which they eventually did. 
  • Franklin’s Peace Plan — By July 10, 1782, Franklin was ready to propose a peace offering to Britain. His proposal was divided into two parts, “necessary” provisions and “advisable” ones. Four fell into each category. After Britain reviewed, they essentially accepted the four “necessary” proposals, but did not give into any of Franklin’s “advisable” proposals. With this proposed peace plan, Franklin “set the stage for the final negotiations that would end the Revolutionary War.” By November of that year, the treaty was officially signed by both sides and the war was ended.
    • Necessary Provisions 
      • Independence for America that was “full and complete in every sense”
      • The removal of all British troops 
      • Secure boundaries
      • Fishing rights off the Canadian coast
    • Advisable Provisions
      • Payment of reparations for the destruction in America
      • An acknowledgment of British guilt
      • A free trade agreement
      • Giving up Canada to the United States
    • Quote (P. 408): “Britain was willing, he said, to affirm America’s independence as a preliminary to negotiations, and it should ‘be done decidedly so as to avoid future risks of enmity.’ If America would drop the ‘advisable’ provisions, Shelburne said, and ‘those called necessary alone retained as the ground of discussion,’ then he was confident that a treaty could be ‘speedily concluded.’ Although it would take a few more months, that is in essence what happened.”
    • Quote (P. 415): “The next morning, November 30, 1782, the American negotiators, along with their secretary, Temple Franklin, met with the British in Oswald’s suite at the Grand Hotel Muscovite to sign the provisional treaty that, in effect, ended the Revolutionary War.”
  • Softening France — The peace deal made between the United States and Britain did not include France. By negotiating directly with Britain, and not including France in the discussion, the U.S. went against its deal with France when France agreed to be an ally to the U.S. in the war a few years earlier. France was not happy about this. One could argue that their frustration was warranted; their support in the war is what gave the United States a victory over Britain and, in turn, allowed the United States to secure its independence from the British Empire. Franklin did a great job of breaking the news to France after the treaty was signed. His diplomatic savvy helped keep the peace in that situation.
    • Quote (P. 417): “From his opening gambit that led to America’s treaty of alliance with France to the endgame that produced a peace with England while preserving French friendship, Franklin mastered a three-dimensional game against two aggressive players by exhibiting great patience when the pieces were not properly aligned and carefully exploiting strategic advantages when they were.”
    • Quote (P. 417): “Franklin had been instrumental in shaping the three great documents of the war: the Declaration of Independence, the alliance with France, and the treaty with England. Now he turned his thoughts to peace.”
  • Another Invention: Bifocals — In 1784, Franklin used his spare time to invent bifocal glasses. At the time, he had two pairs of glasses: one to enhance his visibility while reading and one to help his long-distance vision. He tinkered around and found a way to create a singular pair of glasses that allowed him to see well from both distances. The way he did this was by cutting the lenses from each pair of old glasses and arranging them into one frame so the top half of the lens featured his long-distance correction and the lower half of the lens featured his close-up lens. Bifocals are still widely used today. 
  • Interesting Fact — The origin of the word “mesmerize” dates back to Franz Anton Mesmer, an 18th century physician in Vienna who founded a therapeutic movement called mesmerism. In 1784, the king of France asked Franklin to investigate mesmerism, which was a weird method of healing. Franklin and others later found that Mesmer and his weird healing techniques were a fraud. 
  • Heading Home — With the war over, America’s independence secure, and his work as a foreign diplomat all but done, Franklin decided to leave France and voyage to England for a quick stop before making his way back home to the United States. Franklin’s role in Paris was turned over to Thomas Jefferson. In England, Franklin saw his son William one last time. By then, their relationship was completely sour. Although William showed effort to make peace with his father, Franklin despised him.
  • Chapter Takeaway — Franklin’s diplomatic duties continued in the 1780s with his role leading peace negotiations with Britain following America’s huge win in combat at the Battle of Yorktown. His ability to secure an alliance with France was critical in that battle — a battle that basically allowed the United States to win the Revolutionary War. He was then able to cleverly lead peace negotiations with Britain without completely angering France. Franklin is considered one of the great American diplomats of all time for his work during the war. 

Ch. 16: Sage

  • More Science — During his final trip across the Atlantic in 1785, Franklin produced a 40-page document filled with observations and theories in a wide variety of topics, complete with charts, graphs, drawings, and diagrams. The document showed just how well-rounded and talented he was; his strong suit wasn’t science.
    • Quote (P. 437): “It was, altogether, his most prodigious scientific outpouring since his electricity experiments of 1752. And like those previous studies, the ones he produced during his ocean crossing of 1785 showed his unique appreciation — that of an ingenious man if not a genius — for combining scientific theory, technical invention, clever experiments, and practical utility.”
  • Expanding on Market Street — When he returned home to Philadelphia in 1785, Franklin expanded his house on Market Street. He first renovated his existing house, restructuring it into three stories. He then built two new houses next to it, one which became his grandson Benny’s printing shop. He was also unanimously elected to become the president of Pennsylvania’s state executive council, the equivalent of what today is considered the governorship. 
  • Crafting the Constitution — The Articles of Confederation were passed by Congress in 1781, but it quickly became apparent that a new federal constitution was needed. Issues between the colonies (states) were starting to crop up, particularly in the areas of taxation and representation in government. In May 1787, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, among others, called for a federal convention in Philadelphia to discuss amending the Articles of Confederation. High-ranking delegates from all 13 states attended, including Franklin, George Washington and many others. Washington was named the chairman of the convention, a position that later led to him becoming the first president of the U.S. That summer, the group developed the U.S. Constitution, a document that helped bind the newly-independent colonies together into one nation.
    • Quote (P. 445): “So they gathered in the abnormally hot and humid summer of 1787 to draft, in deepest secrecy, a new American constitution that would turn out to be the most successful ever written by human hand.”
  • The Constitution: Main Issues — The biggest issue the delegates had to resolve when building the Constitution was whether America would remain thirteen separate states or become one nation. There were several sub-issues to work out in the process: Would Congress be directly elected by the people or chosen by the state legislatures? Would representation be based on population or be equal for each state? Would the national government or the state governments be sovereign? America was deeply split on these issues at the time. If a proportional representation were to take place, the small states believed that their liberties would be in danger. If an equality of votes was used, the large States believed their money would be in danger. 
  • The Constitution: Coming to Compromise — With a lot of differing takes on a lot of different issues, compromise was needed in order to make the Constitution happen. In June 1787, Franklin helped put a workable compromise into motion. He proposed that representatives to the lower House would be popularly elected based on population of each state, but in the Senate the state legislatures would choose and send an equal number of delegates. The House would have primary authority over taxes and spending, the Senate over the confirmation of executive officers and matters of state sovereignty. This was the proposal that was later passed.
    • Quote (P. 452): “The convention proceeded to appoint a committee, which included Franklin, to draw up the details of this compromise, and by a close vote it was finally adopted, in much the form Franklin had proposed, on July 16. ‘This was Franklin’s great victory in the Convention,’ declares Van Doren (historian), ‘that he was the author of the compromise which held the delegates together.’”
    • Quote (P. 457): “The medley (Constitution) was, indeed, as close to perfect as mortals could have achieved. From its profound first three words, ‘We the people,’ to the carefully calibrated compromises and balances that followed, it created an ingenious system in which the power of the national government as well as that of the states derived directly from the citizenry.”
  • The Constitution: Franklin’s Other Contributions — Franklin was also involved in advocating for other proposals within the Constitution. A few of the things he fought for include:
    • Cabinet — Initially, Franklin was of the opinion that a small council of elected officials should lead the country, not one man. He lost on that debate. But his argument did lead to the development of the Cabinet to assist the president. 
    • Presidential Terms — Rather than elect one ruler who would serve as president for his entire life (similar to what was going on with the kings in England and France at the time), Franklin argued that the U.S. president should have a term limit
    • Presidential Impeachment — Franklin argued that Congress should have the right to impeach the president. At the time, the only way to get rid of a corrupt ruler in most countries was to assassinate him. 
    • Running for Government — Some delegates at the convention argued that anyone running for a role in government should have to meet certain income and property ownership requirements. Franklin argued against that because he believed it would rule out a large number of people.
  • Interesting Fact — George Washington was the first president of the United States. John Adams was the second. Washington was earlier named the chairman of the convention that birthed the Constitution, and that position naturally led him to become the first president in 1789.
  • Interesting Fact — Franklin is the person who first coined the famous phrase, “there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes.”
  • Franklin’s Legacy — Franklin accomplished a lot in his life across many different disciplines. He was an excellent printer and newspaper publisher, and is widely recognized as one of the greatest foreign diplomats the United States has ever seen. He was a relentless proponent of America’s middle class. He made major discoveries in the field of science, most notably in the area of electricity. He was basically a self-improvement guru, always tinkering with ways he could be better. And he was a significant player in America’s Revolution and its push for independence from the British Empire. In fact, he is the only person to have signed all four of America’s founding documents: The Declaration of Independence, the treaty of alliance with France, the peace deal with Britain, and the U.S. Constitution.
    • Quote (P. 459): “Since that time, he had been instrumental in shaping every major document that led to the creation of the new republic. He was the only person to sign all four of its founding papers: the Declaration of Independence, the treaty with France, the peace accord with Britain, and the Constitution.”
    • Quote (P. 493): “From the age of 21, when he first gathered his Junto, he held true to a fundamental ideal with unwavering and at times heroic fortitude: a faith in the wisdom of the common citizen that was manifest in an appreciation for democracy and an opposition to all forms of tyranny. It was a noble ideal, one that was transcendent and poetic in its own way.”
  • Stance on Slavery — Franklin did own a few slaves throughout most of his life, but he ended up on the side of complete abolishment of slavery by the time of his death. In 1787, he accepted the presidency of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery. At this time, there were still about 700,000 slaves in the U.S. out of a total population of four million. On behalf of the society, he presented a formal abolition petition to Congress in February 1790. It did not pass. 
  • Death — Franklin died on April 17, 1790 at the age of 84, which at that time was a very impressive lifespan. He always kept his mind busy and engaged in new goals and endeavors, which may have contributed to his long lifespan. He died surrounded by family and loved ones, and was celebrated by the city of Philadelphia. 
  • Chapter Takeaway — Franklin was instrumental in the formation of the U.S. Constitution. Although he did make significant contributions, his primary role was one of encouraging compromise by the delegates at the national conference. He is the only man to sign all four of America’s founding documents. 

Ch. 18: Conclusions

  • Franklin’s Writings — In 1817, Temple released a collection of Franklin’s writings that he had found and preserved, including his famous Autobiography.