Why Is Benjamin Franklin Uniquely American

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. Beginning his career, Franklin was much of an amateur in his profession, though he showed much promise. Franklin never gave up on achieving his career and life goals, which is why he is someone worth imitating; he is the ultimate example of an Archetypal American.

Through his efforts to influence and inspire the world, Benjamin Franklin led America to reach new heights that would eventually make it the strongest nation known to man. As one of the most involved men in the United States during his time, he managed to transform America and change it into the country its citizens love today. There are many ways that Franklin provoked the lives of the American people during his life. Even after his death, the whole nation carried on its motivation that was sparked by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin’s life was greatly influenced by Renaissance idealism. He was very inspired by the world around him and decided to pursue many aspects of the world which he found interesting. Most would say he was

The American identity has evolved over time. During the 1700’s, the Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, occurred. It spread rapidly across Europe, and then to North America. This revolutionary way of thinking was crucial to the development of the American identity. The Enlightenment was the period for cultivation of science and human reason. Scientific discoveries were made and contributed to the growth of the people in Europe and America. The Enlightenment was a growth period in Europe and America, as people were told to rely on their own intellect instead of always looking to God for answers. Unfortunately, because of their existing class structure, religious positions, and authoritative rule, these new ideas in Europe could only be debated.

Born in Boston 1706,Ben Franklin helped to draft the Declaration of Independence and the U.S constitution and he negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris which ended the revolutionary war. His scientific pursuits included investigations to electricity,mathematics and mapmaking.

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.

Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the age of 84. He can be described as a many-sided Renaissance American since during his life he developed great careers as a writer, publisher, scientist, inventor, diplomat and politician. Even though he accomplished these many tittles in his life, he never received a formal education longer than 2 years due to his parent’s economic position, being this the main reason why he got sent to work at the young age of 13, being his first job at his dad’s printing press.

Benjamin Franklin had the most impact in founding the nation out of all the founding fathers. was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Franklin was a visionary and pushed for reform. He seeked ways to improve the nation at the time, while ultimately setting a print on the nation that would shape it in the long term. Some say Franklin was interested in everything, and rightly so. Franklin was a renowned polymath and a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning

Our Nation would not be where it is today if it were not for Benjamin Franklin's passion for liberty and freedom. It is difficult to grasp the vast accomplishments he has achieved. His ambition, intelligence, and morality are few of the many character attributes, which make Franklin a remarkable hero. The brilliant man was a genius known for his wit and wisdom that helped America reach its goals.

The French statesman Jacques Turgot once said of him: “he snatched lightning from the sky, and the scepter from tyrants.” Mr. Turgot is referring to Benjamin Franklin. Most people only remember Benjamin Franklin as a founding fathers, but he was so much more then that. Franklin was an inventor, a diplomat, a printer, and a writer. Mr. Franklin’s many different accomplishments changed the World for the better.

“He was the nation itself, declared the Atlantic Monthly in 1889, ‘the personification of an optimistic shrewdness, a large, healthy nature, as of a young people gathering its strength and feeling its broadening power,’” (Wood 3). Franklin is one of the most famous men in America’s history; he was a living representation of America, and was the type of person that many people aspired to become. Although they did not occur simultaneously, Franklin’s life is comparable to the events that transpired in the American colonies, and he had a huge influence on the character of modern Americans.

Ben Franklin: Early Life In his many careers as a printer, moralist, essayist, civic leader, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, and philosopher, for later generations of Americans he became both a ...

“Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706 (January 6, 1705, in the old style calendar) of very humble origins, origins that always struck Franklin himself as poor.”(Wood,17) He proved throughout his life that he was quite the renaissance man, showing expertise in many professions and fields from Author to Inventor. Franklin proved time and time again that he was intellectually capable of doing pretty much anything. Franklin's status of being a founding father has proven how much of a staple he was in finding the United States of America. Even though he was never President of the United States, In 1753 Franklin became a royal officeholder, deputy postmaster general, in charge of mail in all the northern colonies (Encyclopedia Britannica). Something I found interesting in my research was that “in 1774, Benjamin Franklin was dismissed as joint postmaster general for the Crown because he was judged too sympathetic to the colonies.”(USPS). It’s crazy to think that even Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father, could be

Benjamin Franklin is most well-known for his episode with a lightning bolt, although in reality, he should be known for his aid in the forming of America’s foundation. At the age of fifteen he, along with his brothers, started The New England Courant, a newspaper in the Boston area. With their success rapidly growing, Benjamin decided he was no longer needed and sought to create his own printing press. An additional press was not needed in Boston, so Franklin took his few belongings and traveled up the river to Philadelphia. Here he made acquaintances with influential men, purchased the Pennsylvania Gazette, was elected into the Second Continental Congress, accepted the job of Postmaster General, and became the first U.S Ambassador to France.

Many of you are taught all about the Founding Fathers and how America got it’s Independence. I’m positive you’ve all heard about the famous Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, and about all his contributions to history. He has contributed to the draft of the Declaration of Independence, but that wasn’t the only important contribution he made. He bought a famous paper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, proved the electrical nature of lighting with a kite, and many other things were done by Benjamin. You were probably not told too much about Franklin’s other accomplishments. In order to understand how important this man was, I’ll be talking about his life, work, and accomplishments.

The story of Franklin as the self-made man begins with him being the first man who rose from poverty to prominence, and was the most important black American leader. No one else in American history started out so low and gradually ended up so high. After Franklin no man could claim to be self-made without producing his own unlikely beginnings and becoming a prominent man. His story as a self-made man began with his interest and talents as a writer. In his Autobiography he talks about his path to prosperity “one who would thrill later generations even as they misinterpreted’ (Perkins). The first page explains that the future generations might take interest in his life in account of having emerged from the state of “affluence and same degree of reputation in the world” (Perkins). Franklin the printer and self-made man became a figure of American History.