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Benjamin Franklin Characteristics

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We have all heard of the famous Benjamin Franklin. From the many history classes, and conversations in general. Benjamin Franklin is famous for many reasons; for example, he was responsible for publishing the very first political cartoon, the author of Poor Richard’s Almanack, inventing the lightning rod and bifocals, and he was one of five who drafted the Declaration of Independence. These accomplishments are great, but only tell part of the story of the great Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin. In the biography, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, by Gordon S. Wood, we are educated on the characteristics of his thriving life. He was not always a gentleman, British imperialist, patriot, diplomat, and American. These traits were given …show more content…

Franklin tried to stay out of people’s eyesight but that was very hard for him because he was so famous now. People knew he was back in America, and some people were very much suspicious of Franklin’s return and did not trust him. The Americans and French formed an alliance. “Franklin had not originally wanted a formal alliance with any foreign state, but he now willingly participated in the greatest diplomatic triumph in American history” (p.191). Wood continually shows how Franklin’s feelings changed. Without Franklin around, it was evident that a lot of the things that were happening would not have happened. Franklin was beginning to represent America well and becoming a great …show more content…

Diplomat, and finally American. It was very informative. It is something great to read if you want to learn of his purpose. I think Wood did an excellent job with putting the biography together. Including quotes from Franklin’s autobiography made his work stand out. He also expressed how others felt about Franklin. Wood mentioned a lot of positivity from Franklin’s life, although he mentioned the negative also. For example, he was once a slave holder but later in life before he died, he turned against slavery. He did not just mention a lot of facts about Benjamin Franklin, but he told a different story of him; a story that you will not learn from any other biography or autobiography about him. In conclusion, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, showed how Franklin developed as a person after all the adversity he faced, and the many changes and choices he made throughout his life. In the end Franklin stayed true to himself and America by becoming an

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