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Benjamin Franklin's Early Life, Virtues, And Politics

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Benjamin Franklin wrote about many things in his autobiography these include his Early life, Virtues, and Politics. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was a good read, It was a great experience learning about him in his book. Franklin had a pretty amazing life, he did many things, he accomplished so much in his long life. He was also a very kind and caring man, he believed in bettering the lives of people around him. He was also a big people person many people wanted to be acquainted with him even when he wasn’t well known. He was well known for his generosity of opening up the first library and university. Franklin was a very easy fooled person he was so generous helping his friends which would promise him repayment but he would never …show more content…

Franklin left his brother for a better life in Philadelphia he was so unhappy working for him that he ran away. It was a long journey to Philadelphia he ended up getting really sick on the way but soon recovered when he got close (Franklin, Pg. 22). Franklin had no idea what to do when he got there he also had very little money to buy the necessities that he needed, he had just enough for food. “I was surpriz’d at the quantity, but took it, and, having no room in my pocket, walk’d off with a roll under each arm, and eating the other.” (Franklin, Pg. 24) While Benjamin was in Philadelphia he was living with a man by the name of Keimer, he also gave Franklin a job at his printing office (Franklin, Pg. 25). Franklin worked with Keimer for awhile before he got noticed by the provinces governor (Franklin, Pg. 26). Franklin took leave to Boston for business purposes while he was there he went to see his family. “My unexpected appearance surpriz’d the family; all were, however, very glad to see me, and made me welcome, except my brother” (Franklin, Pg. 27). Franklin worked his absolute hardest to make his own printing shop, his dream came true when he met the Governor. The Governor helped him set up his printing shop and even offered to buy his equipment for his shop. As Franklin progressed in his career and into his middle ages he began …show more content…

Franklin was known as a perfectionist he wanted everything about himself to be perfect, he thought this might happen if he perfected all 13 virtues. He spent most of his life trying to master all 13 of them. Franklin wanted to take it slow, he wanted to perfect one at a time, this took a very long time he never actually succeeded with perfecting all 13. “But, on the whole, tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavor, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it. (Franklin, Pg. 76) Franklin read a lot of religious texts, and poems promoting virtuous behavior (Franklin. Pgs. 71-73). He was beginning to get upset with himself because he could not perfect the virtue ORDER, he was stuck and could not move on this caused him a great deal of distress. Benjamin Franklin actually wrote a book on the virtues and how to perfect them. “I purposed writing a little comment on each virtue, in which I would have shown the advantages of possessing it, and the mischiefs attending its opposite vice; and I should have called my book The Art of Virtues” (Franklin, Pg. 76). Franklin was okay with never reaching perfection because he was happy where he was in his life. Franklin became a better man on his journey through his mastering of the virtues, he

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Describe Franklin’s early years including his education. Give a complete and accurate account? When Benjamin was young he had a dream of going out to sea; however, his father thought this was an absurd idea. In order to keep him home, his father put him to work at an apprenticeship under his brother in a Print shop.

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In his writing a theme that is most prevalent is that of the American dream. Although not coined that yet, as the United States didn’t exist at the time. But right from the beginning Franklin speaks to the fact that he created his success and fortune from nothing but hard work, and intelligence. When describing Franklin’s Autobiography as a primary source, it is important to note that this theme of the American Dream. Most famously from the Declaration of Independence preamble, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” ( Dec. of Ind. Pre.).

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At age 42 he became a soldier in the militia. He was one of the richest men in Philadelphia. Franklin was a founding person in many organizations. The organizations included hospitals libraries, and

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In his “Poor Richard’s Almanack” Franklin writes that "He that drinks his cyder alone, let him catch his horse alone" (26). Franklin lived his life standing by this principle that he preached through his publications. He gave every ounce of his success back to his community while revolutionizing public service and philanthropy. Instead of boxing himself into one discipline of service, Franklin spread his wealth: he bettered education by founding an academy that promoted welfare through a public hospital, more advanced health care, and nondiscriminatory schooling opportunities; he founded a militia allow the common citizen to give back; he established police and fire departments in Philadelphia to make the colonies a safer place. In all of his

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Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706 and during his childhood and teenage years he studied English literature and perfected his writing and poetry skills. Ben Franklin was always an advocate of free speech. As a result, Ben Franklin founded the Pennsylvania Gazette. A colonial paper that became popular among the colonies. He could publish controversial letters that made people during those times start serious conversations around towns .

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Born in 1706 as the eighth of 17 children to a Massachusetts soap and candlestick maker, the chances Benjamin Franklin would go on to become a gentleman, scholar, scientist, statesman, musician, author, publisher and all-around general genius were astronomically low, yet he did just that. Franklin wrote in the Age of Enlightenment, an intellectual revolution in the 18th century. The ideals of the enlightenment are still thought of today, as they are a part of the United States’ Declaration of Independence and Constitution. When one remembers Benjamin Franklin very few people are aware of the fact that he worked as a printer until the age of 42. As a printer he had access to substantial amounts of literature.

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Benjamin Franklin was a scientist, politician, and he invents a bunch of cool things. Benjamin Franklin did not attend school until the age of ten. It took his father two years to pay for his son’s education. Franklin’s family household was large and he is the youngest out of his seventeen siblings. Benjamin Franklin grew up with an unfortunate lifestyle; in the fall of 1723, he went travelled to Philadelphia the city of Pennsylvania with a lack of budget and without support from anyone not even his close family.

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Benjamin Franklin also included silence in this list of virtues which is another thing that he thought was morally important. Benjamin Franklin also included silence

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In his early life, Franklin begins to exhibit a trait that is now an integral part of American identity: a commitment to self-improvement.

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In “The Autobiography” by Benjamin Franklin, the reader is told of Benjamin’s thirteen virtues which he believed man should better themselves on by following. Benjamin held these virtues as one would hold beliefs, he felt that they were in fact, what one should base themselves off of. These virtues included how one should conduct themselves and their actions toward others. The three virtues that I myself need to work on include: Silence, Resolution, and Sincerity.

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Franklin listed the ways and descriptions of what one should do to fall into having these as common everyday habits. Once trained to follow the virtues, by working on a specific one each week, man would be able to prove he was a paragon for the society. Franklin and his 13 virtues may not have represented the individuals of the day, but was a representation of what the “old lights” should and wanted to be

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He had many quintessential factors about him and many admired him for that. Ambition, hard work, strength, and common sense were clearly displayed in his personality. Franklin had a passion for life and I think that he showed it to us by his many accomplishments. Benjamin Franklin is the ideal American and the one who revealed what is meant by the American dream.

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Franklin claims that he has been living long enough to see errors that he made, therefore as he grow older, he tend to “doubt of [his] own judgment” because nobody is perfect due to his past experiences (43). The informations that Franklin presents is to show his reputation that he is not perfect, also his constitution but he is open minded and willing to make what is best for the people. The perspective errors of the constitution have, is being “sacrificed to the public good” meaning all the flaw that constitution have will not be reveal to the people (44). Franklin is very passion about what is best for the people and their happiness, furthermore his characteristic is very respectful toward the citizen and the congress.

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