Inventors and Scientists: Ben Franklin by Biography.Com Editors and A+E Networks, Adapted by Newsela Staff on 08.16.16 Word Count 751

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Inventors and Scientists: Ben Franklin By Biography.com Editors and A+E Networks, adapted by Newsela staff on 08.16.16 Word Count 751

A portrait of Benjamin Franklin by Joseph Siffred Duplessis, circa 1785. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Synopsis: Born in Boston in 1706, Benjamin Franklin helped 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 into electricity, mathematics and mapmaking. A printer and writer known for his wit and wisdom, Franklin published Poor Richard’s Almanack, invented bifocal glasses and organized the ﬁrst successful American lending library, among other achievements.

Early Life

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston. His father was a soap and candle maker named Josiah Franklin. Ben was his 15th child and youngest son.

Ben learned to read at an early age. He was successful in school, but had to stop at 10 years old to work full time in his father’s shop. To discourage him from becoming bored, Josiah apprenticed Ben at 12 to his brother James at his print shop.

James mistreated his younger brother, but Ben learned a great deal about newspaper publishing. Tired of his brother’s “harsh and tyrannical” behavior, Ben ﬂed Boston in 1723. Franklin found work with another printer in Philadelphia. He courted his landlord’s daughter Deborah Read, but left for London in 1724 to set up a print shop. He enjoyed attending theater performances, mingling with people in coffeehouses and reading. He even crafted his own wooden ﬂippers and swam on the Thames River.

Eventually Franklin opened his own print shop in Philadelphia. He also helped set up a library, the ﬁrst successful one in the country.

From Poetry To Electricity

In 1729, Franklin purchased The Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper. He transformed the struggling newspaper into the most widely read paper in the colonies and it became one of the ﬁrst to turn a proﬁt.

Franklin rekindled his relationship with Deborah Read. The couple had 3 children, William, Francis, and Sarah. Francis died when he was only 4 years old of smallpox.

Franklin’s prominence and success grew during the 1730s. One big hit was Poor Richard’s Almanack, which he published at the end of 1732. It was a collection of weather forecasts, astronomical information, poetry and witty lines. Some examples are, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” and “He that lies down with dogs, shall rise up with ﬂeas.” Franklin published the almanac for 25 years in a row.

His interest in electricity was ignited around the 1740s. He conducted the famous kite-and- key experiment in 1752 to demonstrate that lightning was electricity. He invented the lightning rod and coined new electricity-related terms that we still use today, such as battery, charge, conductor and electrify.

Franklin invented many things. He developed bifocals that could be used for both distance and reading, and he is credited with inventing the ﬁrst rocking chair and the American penny.

Government Career

Franklin served various positions in the Pennsylvania government. When the French and Indian War began in 1754, he called on the colonies to band together. To symbolize this, he drew and published a cartoon of a snake cut into sections that read “Join or Die.” However, his plan was not accepted by the colonies.

In 1757 Franklin sailed to London, where he spent the next 20 years. In the 1770s, relations between Great Britain and the American colonies were tense. Franklin returned to North America in 1775 as a devotee of the patriot cause.

In 1776, Franklin was one of ﬁve men to draft the Declaration of Independence. After voting for independence, Franklin sailed to France to get their support. Oldest Delegate

After almost 10 years in France, Franklin returned to the United States in 1785. In 1787 he was the oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention at the age of 81. It was his idea to split Congress into both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Parting Contributions

Benjamin Franklin died on April 17, 1790, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was 84. He also donated money that funded scholarships, schools and museums in Boston and Philadelphia.

The image of Benjamin Franklin that has come down through history is somewhat cartoon- like. He is shown as a bald man in a frock coat holding a kite string with a key attached. But the range of things he did was much broader than that. He never ﬁnished school, but his life through was shaped through reading and experience, a strong moral compass and a commitment to the country. He was a truly knowledgeable man, which is no doubt why he is often called the “First American.” Quiz

1 Which excerpt from "From Poetry To Electricity" BEST shows that Benjamin Franklin was a successful businessman?

(A) In 1729, Franklin purchased The Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper. He transformed the struggling newspaper into the most widely read paper in the colonies and it became one of the ﬁrst to turn a proﬁt.

(B) The book was a collection of weather forecasts, astronomical information, poetry and witty lines. Some examples are, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” and “He that lies down with dogs, shall rise up with ﬂeas.”

(C) He conducted the famous kite-and-key experiment in 1752 to demonstrate that lightning was electricity. He invented the lightning rod and coined new electricity-related terms that we still use today, such as battery, charge, conductor and electrify.

(D) Franklin invented many things. He developed bifocals that could be used for both distance and reading, and he is credited with inventing the ﬁrst rocking chair and the American penny.

2 Read the following paragraph from "Oldest Delegate."

Which of the following inferences can be drawn from this paragraph?

(A) Franklin was included in the Constitutional Convention mainly as a sign of respect.

(B) Franklin's ideas signiﬁcantly inﬂuenced the structure of the U.S. government.

(D) Franklin was viewed with skepticism by some delegates at the Constitutional Convention. 3 Which detail BEST supports the article's central idea?

(A) He enjoyed attending theater performances, mingling with people in coffeehouses and reading.

(B) In 1757 Franklin sailed to London, where he spent the next 20 years. In the 1770s, relations between Great Britain and the American colonies were tense.

(C) In 1776, Franklin was one of ﬁve men to draft the Declaration of Independence. After voting for independence, Franklin sailed to France to get their support.

(D) The image of Benjamin Franklin that has come down through history is somewhat cartoon-like. He is shown as a bald man in a frock coat holding a kite string with a key attached.

4 Which detail would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article?

(A) Benjamin Franklin worked for his brother James in his print shop, where James mistreated him.

(B) Benjamin Franklin created a variety of inventions, including the lightning rod, bifocals and the penny.

(D) Benjamin Franklin drew and published the well-known cartoon of a snake cut into pieces. Answer Key