The Autobiography Of Benjamin Franklin: Eighteenth Century Colonial America

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin describes what the eighteenth century colonial America was like from Franklin’s perspective and how it progressed and developed during his lifetime. During the eighteenth century, many people were illiterate and had no means in expressing their values and beliefs because of religious and social constraints. Franklin had tremendous influence in changing the values and beliefs people held and the way they were thinking. During the eighteenth century, Benjamin Franklin took part in many events such as, the Enlightenment, the Great Awakening and the abolition of slavery. These events greatly impacted people and changed their views and perspectives during the eighteenth century colonial period.

To start off, Benjamin Franklin gave a great deal to self-improvement and the morality of the soul. Benjamin assigned himself thirteen virtues in order to obtain moral perfection (94). Franklin believed that in order to become of use to

The Great Awakening, a national religious revival group, successfully emphasized on people's emotions and brought them close to their creator to serve one purpose, the worship of God (114). Two distinguished figures of the great awakening were Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. Both Edwards and Whitefield were preachers and they successfully impacted on people and their religious beliefs (114). Whitefield played a very important role in sparking the great awakening in the colonies. Benjamin Franklin described the great impact the great awakening had on people as, "it seemed as if all the world were growing religious" (114). Benjamin Franklin is pleased by such change and is influenced like many others in charitable giving. Franklin was greatly influenced by George Whitefield and donated sums of money towards orphanages in Georgia