What Is The Best Biography Of Benjamin Franklin?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

Of the many biographies written on Franklin over the years, probably the best is

Edmund S. Morgan’s Benjamin Franklin

(New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002).

Contents hide

What is the best version of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin?

Amazon.com: Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: Bestsellers and famous Books eBook : Franklin, Benjamin: Kindle Store.

What was so special about Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography?

Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography is both an important historical document and Franklin’s major literary work. … As such, it provides not only

the story of Franklin’s own remarkably influential career

, but maps out a strategy for self-made success in the context of emerging American nationhood.

What are 3 things Benjamin Franklin is famous for?

As an inventor, he is known for

the lightning rod, bifocals

, and the Franklin stove, among other inventions. He founded many civic organizations, including the Library Company, Philadelphia’s first fire department, and the University of Pennsylvania.

What are the 13 virtues of Benjamin Franklin?

His list of 13:

Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity and Humility

. Thirteen wasn’t a nod to the original colonies, nor was it random.

Is the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin a primary source?

Frequently Asked Questions about autobiographies as primary sources. Is an autobiography a secondary source? … Yes, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin

is a primary source

.

Why is Benjamin Franklin so important?

One of the foremost of the Founding Fathers, Franklin

helped draft the Declaration of Independence

and was one of its signers, represented the United States in France during the American Revolution, and was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention.

What bird did Benjamin Franklin want as our national bird?

A committee made up of Founding Fathers Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson was formed to help bring a national seal into fruition. Over the years, reports that Franklin wanted to put

forward a turkey

as the national bird instead of the bald eagle we know today have surfaced.

Which president was Benjamin Franklin?

The fact is, unlike his contemporaries George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams,

Franklin never held the office of the presidency

. He was the governor of Pennsylvania, the first United States ambassador to France and Sweden and the first ever United States Postmaster General.

Which of the following characteristics best describes Benjamin Franklin’s character?


Ardent and Dutiful

.

Charming

, naturally sociable, and witty, Franklin drew people to him wherever he lived. He was dutiful and affectionate toward his family, but it was to close friends that he most often expressed his ardent devotion.

Why Franklin was one of the most popular authors and public figures of his time?

Writer, printer, publisher, scientist, philanthropist, and diplomat, he was the most famous and respected private figure of his time. He was

the first great self-made man in America

, a poor democrat born in an aristocratic age that his fine example helped to liberalize. Franklin was a second-generation immigrant.

What are 5 facts about Benjamin Franklin?

  • He only had two years of formal education. …
  • Franklin became a hit writer as a teenager. …
  • He spent half his life in unofficial retirement. …
  • Franklin designed a musical instrument used by Mozart and Beethoven. …
  • He was a reluctant revolutionary. …
  • Franklin created a phonetic alphabet.

Is Benjamin Franklin selfish?

From the image depicted in Benjamin’s Autobiography, we can say that

Franklin was more self-centered than

most people imagine him to be. … This shows that Franklin was an ambitious man with a clear mind, but in some cases that led to him putting his self-interest over others’ to the extent of betraying his own brother.

What was Benjamin Franklin most important events?

1771-72 Begins writing his Autobiography. 1789 Writes anti-slavery treatise He becomes president of the Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery 1790 April 17, dies in Philadelphia at the age of 84. 20,000 mourners attend his funeral at Philadelphia’s Christ Church Burial Ground.

What are 5 things Benjamin Franklin invented?

  • Swim fins (1717)
  • Franklin/Pennsylvania stove (1741)
  • Lightning rod (1750)
  • Flexible catheter (1752)
  • 24-hour, three-wheel clock that was much simpler than other designs of the day (1757)
  • Glass armonica, a simple musical instrument made of spinning glass (1762)
  • Bifocals (1784)

What did Benjamin Franklin do to improve his character?

  • “TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.”
  • “SILENCE. …
  • “ORDER. …
  • “RESOLUTION. …
  • “FRUGALITY. …
  • “INDUSTRY. …
  • “SINCERITY. …
  • “JUSTICE.

How many hours of sleep did Benjamin Franklin get?

According to research, Benjamin Franklin slept

7 hours

by being in bed by 10 p.m. and up with the rooster at 5 a.m. Winston Churchill may have shown the stress of being Prime Minister as he’s said to have slept about 5 hours from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m.

How did Franklin learn to write well?

How did Franklin learn to write well?

He read Joseph Addison’s The Spectator

. Which character trait is not of the “utmost Importance to the Felicity of Life,” according to Franklin, in “Dealings between Man and Man”?

How might a biography differ from Franklin’s autobiography in describing this part of Franklin’s life?

How might a biography differ from Franklin’s autobiography in describing this part of Franklin’s life? It might differ

because a biography would not get his exact thoughts during this experience and his exact feelings

. It would be different because the biography wouldn’t explain every step in his experiment.

How does the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin influence the society?

Part Two of the Autobiography, complete with

its list of virtues and ways

in which one can achieve them, has influenced millions of readers over the last two centuries. It also helped spawn the genre of the mainstream self-help book. Also, the Autobiography tells us today what life was like in 18th century America.

When did Ben Franklin help draft the constitution?

Drafting the U.S. Constitution

In

1787

, he helped found the Society for Political Inquiries, dedicated to improving knowledge of government.

What made Benjamin Franklin a hero?

Benjamin Franklin did many things that helped America and the world. He discovered

electricity

, invented fire companies, police, and the lightning rod, Bifocals, the Franklin Stove, Swim Fins, Glass Armonica, the Odometer, and the “Long Arm”. … This proved he strongly believed in America’s freedom.

What was Benjamin Franklin’s greatest achievement?

Probably his most important accomplishment was being one of

the authors of the American Declaration of Independence

. In 1776 he appointed as a member of the Committee of Five that would go on to draft the Declaration.

What symbolizes Benjamin Franklin?

The story that Franklin proposed the turkey as the national symbol began to circulate in American newspapers around the time of the country’s centennial and are based on a January 26, 1784, letter in which he panned

the eagle

and extolled the virtues of the gobbler to his daughter, Sarah.

What was Benjamin Franklin’s most famous quote?

  • “Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults.” …
  • “He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.” …
  • “There never was a good war or a bad peace.” …
  • “He that lies down with Dogs, shall rise up with fleas.” …
  • “Better slip with foot than tongue.”

Can male turkeys gobble?


Only males gobble

There’s a reason that male turkeys are called “gobblers” — they’re the only ones that make that noise! Each gobbler has a unique call that he uses to attract females during breeding season. Female turkeys also make distinct noises, but they sound more like chirps and clucks.

What personality type was Benjamin Franklin?

Benjamin Franklin was an

ENTP

, a more social and outgoing version of Jefferson. He too was an inventor, writer, scholar, scientist, politician, ambassador, and many other things, but had greater self-confidence in a group.

Did Benjamin Franklin grow up poor?

When Ben was eight, his father sent him to the South Grammar School (later known as Boston Latin) to prepare for a life as a minister. … He finished in 1716 after one year and never went to school again. Though Ben would have liked to continue,

his family was too poor to afford tuition

.

What was Benjamin Franklin weaknesses?

Through the decades, books and articles about Franklin have examined some of his shortcomings, including his neglect of his wife, Deborah, and his estrangement from his illegitimate son, William. His writings, too, have been derided for what critics consider their

strait-laced Puritanism and materialism

.

Did Benjamin Franklin have syphilis?

Benjamin Franklin: Although famous

for having syphilis

, Franklin likely died of empyema, an infection of the space between the lung and the chest wall. HE was bedridden for the last year of his life, and likely contacted pneumonia.

Which term best describes Benjamin Franklin?

Terms in this set (15) Which word best describes Benjamin Franklin?

diligent

.

Why was Ben Franklin smart?

As a young man, he took on the task of changing how he interacted with others. Through hard work and a system for self-improvement,

Franklin became more socially intelligent

. In fact, due in part to his matured social intelligence, Franklin became one of the most successful leaders of early America.

Did Benjamin Franklin believe in science?

In managing the politics of faith and reason, Franklin, the greatest scientist of his generation, always preferred artful balance.

He did not think that the project of science he so loved would be loved by all

— especially when that project started stepping hard on the toes of believers.

Was Benjamin Franklin well respected?

In between, Franklin did a lot of things and he was probably

the most well-known American in the world at

the time of his death, and one of the most respected. Franklin’s list of achievements in business, journalism, science, charity and politics is too long to recount here.

Was Benjamin Franklin a good writer?

Yet, as a teenager,

Franklin was not a good at writing

. Determined to improve but with no teachers and no money, he decided to teach himself. His autobiography tells exactly how he did it. … Franklin’s advice, written almost 200 years ago, is the cure.

What is the legacy of Benjamin Franklin?

Benjamin Franklin was the

only Founding Father to have signed all three documents that freed America from Britain

, the Declaration of Independence, The Treaty of Paris and the United States Constitution. He convinced the French to financially help America against Britain during the American Revolutionary War.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.