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| − | '''Benjamin Franklin''' (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was born in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], to a tallow-maker. He became a newspaper editor, printer, merchant, and philanthropist in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]]. He was one of the most prominent of [[Founding Fathers of the United States|Founders]] and early political figures and statesmen of the [[United States]]. | + | '''Benjamin Franklin''' (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was born in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], to a tallow-maker. |
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| − | He was [[ambassador]] to [[France]], and also he is on the $100 dollar bill. Benjamin Franklin was a prolific inventor, he invented the [[Franklin Stove]], swivel chair, and the [[bifocal]] and also discovered the existence of [[electricity]] with an experiment involving a key attached to the tail of a kite being flown in a lightning storm. Benjamin Franklin was considered by many, a truly a great American. | + | He liked to fly kites. |
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| − | Franklin is responsible for the nomenclature of "positive" and "negative" charge. He believed he could tell the direction in which electricity travelled by observing sparks. Unfortunately he was wrong; the electrons, which are the particles carrying ordinary electricity, move in the opposite of the direction he thought they did. As a result, when electrons were discovered, according to Franklin's designation they had to be considered as having a negative charge—creating a minor headache for scientists and engineers.
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| − | ''The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin'' (an unfinished work) was chosen by Harvard president Charles W. Eliot to be the first that selection in the Harvard Classics<ref>The Harvard Classics, also known as "Dr. Eliot's Five-foot Shelf," was the result of a speech in which he said that the elements of a liberal education could be obtained from a set of books that would fit on a five-foot shelf; an enterprising publisher challenged him to select the set of books, and published them as ''The Harvard Classics.''</ref> The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica said "his Autobiography... unquestionably ranks among the few great autobiographies ever written."<ref>Webster, Richard (1911), "Benjamin Franklin." The Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th edition, v. 11, pp. 24-30</ref>. Mark Twain took a less reverent view:
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| − | :[Franklin]'s simplest acts, also, were contrived with a view to their being held up for the emulation of boys forever—boys who might otherwise have been happy. With a malevolence which is without parallel in history, he would work all day, and then sit up nights, and let on to be studying algebra by the light of a smoldering fire, so that all other boys might have to do that also, or else have Benjamin Franklin thrown up to them. Not satisfied with these proceedings, he had a fashion of living wholly on bread and water, and studying astronomy at meal-time—a thing which has brought affliction to millions of boys since, whose fathers had read Franklin's pernicious biography.<ref>Twain, Mark (1870), "The Late Mr. Franklin"</ref>
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| − | He was called a [[Deist]] because he was a free thinker who did not take the miracles in the [[Bible]] literally. However, unlike the deists who viewed God as the "clockmaker" who wound up the universe and left, Franklin believed in God's active Providence in human affairs. But although Franklin wrote widely, he rarely made statements associated with principles of Deism. Instead, Franklin made a passionate plea for saying prayers at the [[Constitutional Convention]]:<ref>http://www.homeofheroes.com/hallofheroes/3rd_floor/god/2_convention.html</ref>
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| − | :Mr. President [George Washington] ... I have lived, sir, a long time, and, the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth--that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings, that 'Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.'
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| − | :I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed, in this political building, no better than the builders of Babel. We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded; and we ourselves shall become a reproach and by-word down to future ages. And, what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.
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| − | :I therefore beg leave to move that, henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.
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| − | The above quotation demonstrates that Benjamin Franklin was not a [[deist]] when he participated in the [[Constitutional Convention]] in 1787, as deists do not believe in the "assistance of Heaven" or that "God governs in the affairs of men." Franklin passed away less than three years after his statement, so it seems unlikely that his views changed further.
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| − | Franklin himself clearly states in his autobiography that he was a deist earlier in his life, though he later came to doubt its use. "Some books against Deism fell into my hands; they were said to be the substance of the sermons which had been preached at Boyle’s Lectures. It happened that they wrought an effect on me quite contrary to what was intended by them. For the arguments of the Deists, which were quoted to be refuted, appeared to be much stronger than the refutations; in short, I soon became a thorough Deist. My arguments perverted some others, particularly Collins and Ralph; but each of these having wronged me greatly without the least compunction, and recollecting Keith’s conduct towards me (who was another freethinker), and my own towards Vernon and Miss Read, which at times gave me great trouble, I began to suspect that this doctrine, though it might be true, was not very useful."<ref>''The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,'' in ''The Harvard Classics,'' P. F. Collier, 1909, [http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC07236932&id=Mi0LAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA6-IA1&lpg=PA6-IA1&dq=autobiography+of+benjamin+franklin&as_brr=1#PPA57,M1 p. 57]; also available from Project Gutenberg as [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/148 etext #148], search on "deist."</ref>
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| − | Benjamin Franklin guided the establishment of the University of Pennsylvania, which was chartered as nonsectarian. According to the University, it was "a new type of learning institution, that unlike other American Colonial colleges, would not focus on education for the clergy, but would instead prepare students for lives of business and public service. The proposed program of study would become the nation's first modern liberal arts curriculum."[http://www.upenn.edu/about/heritage.php] In his 1749 ''Proposals relating to the education of youth in Pensilvania[sic],'' he outlines an essentially secular curriculum. Religion is to be taught under the rubric of History; Franklin, however, makes a point of saying that
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| − | :History will also afford frequent Opportunities of showing the Necessity of a ''Publick Religion,'' from its Usefulness to the Publick; the advantage of a Religious Character among private Persons; the Mischiefs of Superstition, &c. and the excellency of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION above all others, antient and modern.<ref>Franklin, Benjamin (1749), ''Proposals relating to the education of youth in Pensilvania.'' Franklin and Hall.[http://dewey.library.upenn.edu/sceti/printedbooksNew/printableformat.cfm?coll=printedbooks&subcoll=franklin_youth&filename=franklin_youth_body0016.sid&pagePosition=20 online page image] [http://www.archives.upenn.edu/primdocs/1749proposals.html Online searchable html text]</ref>
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| − | Before the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin was a frequent visitor to [[England]]. He was a member of the [[Lunar Society]] based in [[Birmingham]], creators of the Industrial Revolution, and also the [[Hellfire Club]] of Sir Francis Dashwood.
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| − | Franklin believed strongly in the importance of political freedom to the American experiment. As such, he remarked, "those who would give up a little liberty, to gain a little security, deserve neither, and will lose both," a stern warning applicable especially in today's world.
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| − | ==Franklin's "Creed"==
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| − | In adulthood, on March 9, 1790, shortly before his death, he wrote, in a letter to Ezra Stiles, president of Yale:
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| − | :Here is my Creed: I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe. That he governs it by Providence. That he ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable Service we render to him is doing good to his other Children. That the soul of Man is immortal, and will be treated with Justice in another Life respecting its conduct in in this. These I take to be the fundamental Principles of all sound Religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever sect I meet with them.
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| − | :As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of Morals and His Religion as he left them to us, is the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received many corrupting Changes, and I have, with most of the present Dissenters in England, some doubt as to his Divinity; tho' it is a question I need not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect Soon an opportunity of knowing the Truth with less trouble. I see no harm in its being believed, if that belief has good consequences, as probably it has, of making his Doctrines more respected and better observed; especially as I do not observe that the Supreme takes it amiss, by distinguishing the Unbelievers in his Government of the world with any Marks of his displeasure."<ref>''The Writings of Benjamin Franklin,'' Macmillan and Co., 1907, [http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC07368016&id=IkQBIcYzzUEC&pg=RA2-PA84&lpg=RA2-PA84&dq=%22As+to+Jesus+of+Nazareth,+my+Opinion+of+whom+you+particularly+desire%22#PRA2-PA84,M1 p. 84]</ref>
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| − | This quote does not reflect the views of [[deism]].
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| − | In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin described his upbringing and continuing respect for Christianity as follows:
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| − | :From a child I was fond of reading, and all the little money that came into my hands was ever laid out in books. Pleased with the Pilgrim's Progress, my first collection was of John Bunyan's works in separate little volumes.
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| − | :My old favorite author, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress ... has been translated into most of the languages of Europe, and suppose it has been more generally read than any other book, except perhaps the Bible.
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| − | ==''Ben and Me''==
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| − | Robert Lawson's 1939 book, ''Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos,'' is a children's classic continuously in print since publication. It is written at level suitable for ages 10 and up, but is enjoyed by adults. As the title indicates, the narrator is a mouse. Amos is not very respectful toward Franklin. He see Franklin as absent-minded, lacking in common sense, and barely able to take care of himself. According to Amos, it is Amos himself who inspired, and should be credited with most of Franklin's great inventions. Amos has nothing but scorn for Franklin's "Poor Richard" maxims:
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| − | :"'Early to bed, early to rise, makes a healthy, wealthy and wise!' ''Bah!'' When have you been ever been to bed early, or risen early, except when you've had insomnia? Yet you're healthy and wealthy."
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| − | :"Perhaps if I lived by the maxim I should also be—wise," he suggested, meekly.
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| − | :"That I doubt," I said. "it would require more than a maxim. A miracle, like."
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| − | In 1953, Walt Disney made a 20-minute animated short film from the book, but it failed to capture the spirit of the story and did not even attempt to be faithful to the style of Lawson's illustrations.
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| − | ==References==
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| − | <references/>
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| − | [[category:political people]]
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| − | ==Writings of Benjamin Franklin Online==
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| − | :[http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/ Yale editon of complete works of Benjamin Franklin]
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| − | :[http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/fellows/bob_morse_04/ The Electrical Writings of Benjamin Franklin] Collected by Robert A. Morse, 2004.
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| − | :[http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/family/lastwill.html Franklin's Last Will & Testament] Transcription.
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