The Biography of Benjamin Franklin
By Zia Kara How to Use This Presentation
I hope you enjoy this presentation and learn as much as I did! This presentation is designed to be interactive and to be used as to how you want to see the information. There is anindex at the beginning of the presentation that will begin your discovery of this great man, Benjamin Franklin.index Use this to learn about his life, his inventions and his struggles. Just click on any text to start your adventure! Index
Benjamin Franklin lived a busy and industrious life spanning 84 years.
Birth and Childhood 1706 -1718 Apprenticeship 1718 Family 1730 - 1745 Vocation 1728-1748 Inventions 1747 - 1752 Political Life 1757 - 1790 Old Age and Death 1790
References Birth and Childhood
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the fifteenth child of seventeen children and also the youngest boy. Franklin only had two years of school but continued to educate himself by reading. A picture of Benjamin Franklin
Back to Index Apprenticeship When Franklin was 12 became a printing apprentice to his brother James, a printer. His brother owned the New England Courant. As James did not allow Franklin to write for the newspaper, Franklin wrote letters to the paper as a middle-aged woman named ''Silence Dogood''. At 17 years old, Franklin ran away to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as his brother Franklin as an apprentice. found out that he was the Back toone Index who was writing the letters. Family In 1730, Franklin marriedFamily Deborah Read Rogers. Then a year later (1731), Franklin's son William Wife: Deborah Read Rogers Franklin was born. (1708-1774) Son: William Franklin Francis Folger (1731-1813) Franklin, was born a year later. In 1736, at the age of four, Francis died from smallpox. Then in 1743, his daughter Sarah Franklin Bache Daughter : Sarah Franklin Son: Francis Folger Franklin was born. Bache (1732-1736) Back to Index (1743-1808) Inventions Bifocal Glasses Inventions contributing to Earth Science Extension Arm Chart of the Gulf Stream Flexible Urinary Catheter Glass Armonica Daylight Savings Time Institutions Franklin Stove Library Chair Lightning Rod Odometer New Words Services Swim Fins Three-Wheel Clock
Back to Index Bifocal Glasses
In 1784, Franklin created bifocal glasses as he was 78 and had trouble seeing up-close and at a distance. He was tired of switching between both pairs of glasses so
he created a way so that both types Bifocal Glasses of lenses will fit into one frame. The lens for distance was placed at the top and the lens to see up-close was placed at the bottom. That is how he created the bifocal glasses.
A diagram of Bifocal glasses
Back to Inventions Extension Arm
As Franklin loved to read, and founded the Library company. He had trouble reaching the books on the top shelf so he created the extension arm. This invention had two fingers that were attached to a long piece of wood or pipe. To open and close the fingers you would pull on a cord.
Pictures of similar modern extension Back to Inventions arm Flexible Urinary Catheter
Benjamin designed a flexible tube, similar to the urinary catheters today, when his older brother John, was suffering from bladder stones. He gave the design to local silversmith to make and then sent it to his brother to try in Boston. At the time, doctors only used rigid catheters which would obviously be uncomfortable. Flexible Urinary Catheter
Back to Inventions Glass Armonica
The playing of music on upright wine goblets with tones made by rubbing fingers around the lip of the glasses filled with different amount was a popular in early 18th century England. Franklin, with the help of Charles James, a glassblower built the mechanized version. It has its premiere in 1762 played by Marianne Davies.
Glass Armonica
Back to Inventions Institutions The University of Pennsylvania American Philosophical Society Pennsylvania Hospital Franklin and Marshall College
University of Pennsylvania Benjamin Franklin Stat- FranklinFranklin andand MarshallMarshall CollegeCollege ue at the University of Back to Inventions Pennsylvania Library Chair
Franklin wanted to improve his library chair so that it could do many things than just a chair. He attached a fan that was operated by a foot pedal, and he created a reversible seat that allowed the chair to be used as a small step ladder or stepping stool. Similar chairs are used today.
Pictures of Modern Library Chairs
Back to Inventions Odometer
As Franklin was a postmaster, he wanted to provide fast and efficient service. He wanted to measure the distance between points to create the fastest route, so he created an odometer that attached to his carriage. By counting the rotation of the wheels, it calculated the distance that the carriage traveled.
Pictures of Odometers
Back to Inventions Services
Insurance Street lighting Paving Post offices Library Company StreetStreet Lighting Lighting Fire company Insurance Library Company
Back to Inventions Post Office Three-Wheel Clock Franklin invented a simpler, more economical clock for the early settlers. It was a “curious clock” a with a four hour dial with three wheels and three pinions. Clocks were only afforded Street Lighting by the wealthy and a simple clock with fewer parts would be cheaper to make.
Three-Wheel Clock Back to Inventions Chart of Gulf Stream Franklin wondered why journeys easter were faster than return trips on his voyages across the Atlantic ocean (or, as it was known then, the Western Ocean) between Street Lighting the Colonies and Europe. His curiosity led him to be the first to map the Gulf Stream. He made eight voyages.
Chart of Gulf Stream Back to Inventions Daylight Savings Time
Franklin is often given credit for inventing Daylight Saving Time. He wrote a very funny letter recommending taxing the good people of France from wasting candles and the ringing of bells and Street Lighting canons to force people up every morning to use as much available sunlight as possible instead of sleeping in. William Willet of London actually invented Daylight Savings Time. Franklin's Letter Back to Inventions Franklin Stove
Franklin wanted to develop a fireplace that would use less wood and produce more heat. He created a new stove that he claimed that it would be more efficient and called it the ''Pennsylvania Fireplace''. These stoves did not work very well. Another inventor modified Franklin stove so that it would maximize efficiency and named it ''Franklin Stove''.
Franklin Stoves Back to Inventions Lightning Rod
Before Franklin's invention of the lightning rod, lots of buildings when they had been struck by lightning, caught on fire and burnt them down. He developed the lighting rod so that there would be as many building that would get burnt. A metal rod was attached to the highest point of the house or building. A metal wire or cable is connected to the bottom of the metal rod. The other end of the cable is buried in the ground at a distance of 10 feet or more. Metal rods from lightning rods
Back to Inventions New Words
When Franklin was in the middle of studying electricity, he found that English did not have words to explain the wonder that he had just discovered. He created many words that are still used today. They are:
battery minus charge positively condenser negatively conductor armature plus
Back to Inventions Swim Fins
As Franklin loved to swim, he wanted to increase his speed. So he invented swim fins that he could wear on his hands. The fins were shaped like lily pads and helped the swimmer swim faster with each stroke. Modern Flippers; Similar to Franklin Swim Fins
Back to Inventions Vocation
1728 1729 1732- 1737 1742 1747 1748 1758 1728: Franklin opens his own printing office in Philadelphia 1729: Becomes the sole owner and publisher of the Pennsyl- vania Gazette. 1732-1758: Franklin publishes Poor Richard's Almanack annually. 1737: Appointed Postmaster of Philadelphia. 1742: Suggest the idea for the University of Pennsylvania. 1747: Franklin organizes the first Militia
Back to Index Political Life
1736 - 1751 Clerk, Pennsylvania Assembly 1751 - 1764 Represented Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Assembly 1754 Represented Pennsylvania at the Albany Congress 1757 - 1762 Political agent of the Pennsylvania Assembly, London, England 1766 Reappointed as agent for Pennsylvania, London, England 1775 Left London, England, for Massachusetts: Elected member of the Second Continental Congress Named postmaster general 1776 Served on committee to draft the Declaration of Independence Went to France as one of three American commissioners to negotiate a treaty 1778 Negotiated treaties of commerce and defense with France Appointed sole plenipotentiary in France 1781 Appointed with John Jay and John Adams to negotiate a peace with Great Britain 1783 Signed Treaty of Paris with Great Britain and asked Congress for his recall 1785 - 1788 President, Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania 1787 Signed memorial to Congress as last official act as president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery1790
Back to Index Old Age and Death At the age of 84, Franklin died peacefully in his sleep, in Philadelphia, on April 17, 1790. 20,000 people came to his funeral. When he died, America lost an amazing person.
Back to Index References
http://fi.edu/franklin/timeline/timeline.html http://americanhistory.about.com/od/colonialamerica/p/bio_franklin.htm http://inventors.about.com/od/fstartinventors/ss/Franklin_invent_4.htm http://www.ehow.com/list_6875821_list-franklin_s-inventions.html
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