American Biography – Benjamin Franklin
The beliefs and attitudes of the Quakers greatly
influenced a colonist named Benjamin Franklin.
Born in New York City, he was the son of a poor
craftsman with a very large family. When
Benjamin was thirteen years old he was sent to
live with a man who would teach him how to
make candles. Franklin preferred to live with
an older brother, who was a printer in
Philadelphia. So he ran away to his brother.
As a printer, Franklin was able to become
a very wealthy man. He was also a scientific
thinker. He invented many items, such as a
special wood burning stove (The Franklin
Stove), which is still in use today, and bifocal
glasses. Through a very dangerous experiment
using a kite, he was able to demonstrate the
nature of electricity. More than any of his other
actions, this experiment made Franklin the most
well-known man in the colonies.
Franklin was also a philosopher. Many of
his sayings are still used today: “The early bird
gets the worm”, “early to bed, early to rise
makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” And
“man does not possess wealth; it possesses
him”.
Franklin was also a very community
minded man. This attitude reflected both the
beliefs of the Quakers and the colonial
experience. Colonists had to help each other
so that they could all survive. Franklin founded
the first insurance company in the colonies, as
well as the first fire department and lending
library.
Above all, Franklin demonstrated that in
the colonies a poor boy could become wealthy
and respected. He succeeded because of his
own honesty and willingness to work hard. It
was especially, however, the existence of
equality of opportunity that was important to
Franklin’s success. He demonstrated that an
individual’s talents, abilities, and intelligence
could be the steps to a better life. Benjamin
Franklin symbolized what became known as the
“The American Dream” or “Rags-to-Riches
Success Story”. He symbolized the promise of
the colonies. These images continued to
attract millions of people to the colonies and
later the United States.
Why would Franklin’s success not have happened in Britain?