Benjamin Franklin By Chelsea Griffin Brittany Ellis Childhood

Benjamin Franklin By: Chelsea Griffin Brittany Ellis

Childhood � Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 in Boston Massachusetts. � He was the fifteenth child of seventeen children and was also the youngest boy. � His father was Josiah Franklin and mother was Abiah Folger which was his father second wife.

Childhood cont. � Being born into a poor family, Franklin attended school for two years only. � Though he did attend Boston Latin School, he did not graduate from there. � He continued his education through rapacious reading. After attaining 10 years of age, Franklin started working for his father.

� Two years later, he became an apprentice to his brother James. � Around the year 1721, James took out New England Courant, the first truly independent newspaper in the colonies. He was denied an opportunity to write for the newspaper, � Franklin started writing letters under the pseudonym of Mrs. Silence Dogood. When James came to know about this, he became unhappy with Ben. This resulted in Franklin’s leaving his apprenticeship without permission and in turn, becoming a fugitive

Early Life � After leaving his brother’s apprenticeship, Franklin ran away to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and started working in several printer shops. � A little while later he went to London and worked as a compositor in a printer's shop in the Church of St Bartholomew-the-Great, in the Smithfield area of London. � In 1726, he returned to Philadelphia, with the help of Thomas Denham, a merchant. � The following year, he created the Junto, a discussion group of concurring aspiring artisans and tradesmen, for pondering over issues of the day

Early Life Cont. � Time had passed and more of his work was published. He had gained social respect. � Franklin married Deborah Read on September 1, 1930. � The next year, he was initiated into the local Freemason loge. � By 1734, he had reached the position of a grand master. � The same year, he edited and published the first Masonic book in the Americas, a reprint of James Anderson's Constitutions of the Free-Masons. � Franklin remained a Freemason for the rest of his life

� “We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid. ” -Ben Franklin

Benjamin Franklin For Benjamin Franklin, education was mostly a personal endeavor and he proved to be a voracious learner on his own accord. � Franklin was inspired by the philosophers of the Enlightenment as well as scientific advances that were constantly challenging the contemporary concept of natural law. � He could not help but get involved in the debates on religion, society, and science that were swirling around him and his contributions were widely celebrated and criticized by few. �

Franklin and education � In 1747, Franklin began to organize a proposal for education of youth in Pennsylvania. His efforts led to the opening of the Academy and College of Philadelphia in 1751 � Forty years later, the school would combine with the University of the State of Pennsylvania to become the University of Pennsylvania, an academic powerhouse to this day.

� � � For Ben Franklin, education was an lifelong mission. Inventions he crafted later in life demonstrate his commitment to stay up to date and continue his favorite pastime of reading. Franklin, believed that science could solve the problems of human life and that knowledge came from the senses, observation, and experimentation. He believed that knowledge should be applied to human affairs, the economy, and society Despite his busy schedule as the owner of a newspaper and Postmaster of Philadelphia, Franklin continued his own selfeducation in his spare time.

Inventions � The special glasses he had made, which he called "double spectacles" would be known as bifocals today. � For even more convenience and time-saving purposes, Franklin put together a rotating library chair that allowed him to swivel between his desk and bookshelf.

� � � Benjamin Franklin died in 1790, but his career revealed that he was a self-made and largely self-educated person who won success because of his ambitions and common sense. A brief survey of his claims revealed his wide-ranging interests in developing English-language schools and helping people further their education. When Franklin passed away in 1790, his will granted 1, 000 pounds each to Pennsylvania and Massachusetts to be kept in a trust and left untouched for 200 years. When the money became available, much of it went to academic scholarships for disadvantaged youth.

� “Who is wise? He that learns from everyone. Who is powerful? He that governs his passions. Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody. ” - Ben Franklin