Benjamin Franklin

6 Pages 1505 Words

Midterm Assignment “Benjamin Franklin”


The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was not an easy book to read. Writing styles have changed tremendously since the 1700’s. Despite the cultural differences I learned a lot about the man and the time. Benjamin Franklin was a remarkable man. He was a printer, author, politician and an inventor. He was one of fifteen children in his family. Because he was from such a large family he was sent out to work at a very early age. He only had a few years of grammar school education when he started working in his fathers business. During his days off he educated himself through books. He was not happy working in his fathers business for very long. Unsure of what he wanted to do; his father took him around town to introduce him to other trades available to him. Not entirely pleased by the choices available, he settled on the printing trade. He worked as an apprentice in his brother’s print shop for several years until tension ended their relationship.
By this time he was in his late teens. He moved to Philadelphia to continue in the printing business. He did well in Philadelphia but was always unhappy working in someone else’s print shop. The governor of Philadelphia offered him a letter of credit and introduction in England to help secure materials needed to start his own printing business. He accepted the offer only to find the offer less than reliable. This trip did not turn out as planned and he remained in England for two years trying to raise enough money to return to America. Upon Benjamin Franklin’s return to Philadelphia, he continued to master his printing trade. Within a few years he had established his own business. Several years later he started publishing a newspaper and was granted the honor of printing up the states currency.
The main topic of this autobiography is the life of Benjamin Franklin and about all of his accomplishments and the hardships that he faced g...