ipl-logo

How Did Franklin Spend His Retirement

112 Words1 Page

He never received the recognition he thought he deserved.He spent half his life in unofficial retirement. Franklin arrived in Philadelphia in 1723 practically penniless, but over the next two decades he became enormously wealthy as a print shop owner, land speculator and publisher of the popular “Poor Richard’s Almanack.” By 1748, the 42-year-old was rich enough to hang up his printer’s apron and become a “gentleman of leisure.” Franklin’s retirement allowed him to spend his remaining 42 years studying science and devising inventions such as the lightning rod, bifocal glasses and a more efficient heating stove. It also gave him the freedom to devote himself to public service..He died on April 17,1790.

Show More
Related

  • How Did The Enlightenment Influence The American Identity

    1522 Words  | 7 Pages

    Franklin’s work in providing a public forum through his newspaper, discussion groups, library system, and almanac established the foundations for evolution of this American character. The British Parliament let the Licensing Act lapse, and the result was a print revolution. All over Britain and Europe print was essential to transmission of new ideas. This information soon reached the Atlantic, and the colonies began printing their own newspapers. Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706 and

    Read More

  • How Did Wood Contribute To Franklin's Retirement?

    382 Words  | 2 Pages

    Much of Franklin's retirement was gentlemanly. Wood demonstrates this when explaining Franklin's electrical experiments, public service, and his politics. "By the early 1760s Franklin had become a thoroughgoing imperialist and royalist," Wood concludes (91). Though Franklin admired the British king greatly and reveled in how great the British Empire was. It was around the late 1750s and 1768 in particular that Franklin began struggling for royal government in Pennsylvania, a proprietary colony, that Wood believes Franklin began identifying himself as an Englishman.

    Read More

  • To What Extent Would You Describe Franklin's Early Years Including His Education

    325 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Presidency Of George Washington And Abigail Adams

    866 Words  | 4 Pages

    He published the Pennsylvania Gazette, along with a lending library and a fire-fighting company. He also served in government offices and was also the author of Poor Richard's Almanac. Franklin founded the American Philosophical society in 1743, Also, he created the Academy of Philadelphia. The academy offered Latin, English, and mathematics departments.

    Read More

  • How Did Benjamin Franklin Contribute To The Revolutionary War

    435 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Benjamin Franklin's Major Accomplishments

    436 Words  | 2 Pages

    Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17th 1706 in Boston Massachusetts. At an early age Benjamin learned to read and could be considered and major accomplishment. At age 10 he quit school so he could start working full time at his father’s candle and soap shop. Dipping wax and cutting wicks didn’t suit his needs. At age 12 his father apprenticed him to his brother James at a print shop.

    Read More

  • Benjamin Franklin: Tragic Hero Or An Archetypal American?

    631 Words  | 3 Pages

    Benjamin Franklin is known to be an “Archetypal American,” because of his beliefs on religion, self-improvement, hard work, and determination; but also his somewhat prideful spirit. Much of modern America is quite similar to Franklin in his actions throughout his lifetime. In his early years, Franklin’s father, Josiah, had a set plan for what he was supposed to do with his life, as a minister. Soon into his education, he found an interest in reading and writing, so he began pursuing a career in printing.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Frederick Douglass And Benjamin Franklin

    942 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • How Did Benjamin Franklin Contribute To The American Dream

    458 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before Franklin became the famous man who can anything and everything, he was a penniless man. By the age of 17 Franklin quit the apprenticeship that he had with his brother and moved to a new city on his own. “… I found myself in New York near 300 Miles from home, a boy of but 17, without the least recommendation to or knowledge of any

    Read More

  • Benjamin Franklin Research Paper

    1956 Words  | 8 Pages

    Franklin’s childhood began when he was a young boy living with his father and siblings in Massachusetts. As a boy Franklin was apprenticed to his father, Josiah Franklin, making candle wicks and soap, and he hated every minute of it (Dash, p. 8). Franklin’s

    Read More

  • How Did Som Franklin Influence Thomas Jefferson

    1344 Words  | 6 Pages

    He would become an amazing scientist by creating many inventions like bifocals, the Franklin stove, swimming fins, and the lighting rod (Isaacson). He would experiment with electricity by flying a kite in a lighting storm, which would give him international fame (Isaacson). Franklin was not only a “resourceful scientist” but also a “master negotiator” (Isaacson). With the revolutionary war on the horizon it was critical that the colonists unite to fight for their independence.

    Read More

  • Benjamin Franklin: An Archetype Of American Identity

    1312 Words  | 6 Pages

    Franklin values frugality so highly that he refers to as the way to wealth, freedom from debt, and “producing affluence and independence” (Franklin 38). Franklin goes as far as to “avoid all appearances to the contrary [of being frugal]”, by always dressing plainly when out in public and not being seen at expensive, “places of idle diversion” (Franklin 33). Franklin’s combined frugality and humble appearance worked in his favor, as he was seen as a “thriving young man” whom merchants would import stationery for and “others would supply . . . with books” (Franklin 33). This frugality of Franklin’s gave him social standing, success, and riches.

    Read More

  • How Did Benjamin Franklin Contribute To The Enlightenment

    549 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Benjamin Franklin's Life And Accomplishments

    596 Words  | 3 Pages

    The importance of Ben Franklin has been told all throughout history, along with the famous $100 bill with his face on it. Drafting the Declaration of Independence, foudning universities and libraries, the post office, shaping policies in the U.S., publishing newspapers, making advances in science, and letting us use bifocals and using lighting for electricity. Even if this man never finished school, he did much reading and experiments that help us out today. The reason why I chose to write about Benjamin Franklin was because he was a very important Founding Father and it’s important for people to learn all about

    Read More

  • Benjamin Franklin's Influence On The Enlightenment

    690 Words  | 3 Pages

    Franklin was known for creating many things that we still use today, and we will continue uses for many years to come. Inventions that we still use today would be the lightning rod, street lighting, odometer, Bifocal glasses, and the discovery of Daylight Saving Time. Franklin invented the lightning rod to protect the building from lightning; Franklin believed this was the most important inventions. With street lighting, he only improved it by using the scientific method to help improve the quality of light. As he describe it in his Autobiography, "I, therefore, suggested composing them of four flat panes, with a long funnel above to draw up the smoke, and crevices admitting air below, to facilitate the ascent of the smoke; by this means they were kept clean, and did not grow dark in a few hours, as the London lamps do, but continu'd bright till morning."

    Read More

More about How Did Franklin Spend His Retirement

Open Document