Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography

Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography

Introduction

Benjamin Franklin, the tenth son of Josiah Franklin, was born on 6th January 1706 in Boston. He set an example of how a life of patience, self-determinism, and hard work pays. This article examines these attributes in Benjamin's socio-political life. Initially, Benjamin had wanted to become a clergy according to his father's intentions; however, this dream was not achieved since his family could not afford to pay for the prohibitive cost of attending a clergy course. Due to his passion for reading, Benjamin soon became an apprentice at the printing firm belonging to his brother James. At a young age of 12 years, his work involved mainly composition and selling of pamphlets in the streets of Boston (Eliot, 1998).

Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography

James started publishing newspapers in Boston when Benjamin had reached fifteen. By this time both James and Benjamin co-published the New England Courant, the first newspaper in Boston to cover local event. Since his brother did not appreciate much of the work he was involved in, Benjamin fled to New York and later to Philadelphia in 1723 when a quarrel had ensured between them. In Philadelphia, Benjamin was employed as a printer. Later he worked as a compositor under Governor Keith, a job left soon after getting associated with Denman, a Philadelphian merchant (Eliot, 1998). Upon Denman's demise, Benjamin went back to his former printing business and started publishing The Pennsylvania Gazette, which included a number of articles covering the social and legal reforms in the region. His infamous Poor Richard's Almanac, which started in 1732, was a collection of wise quotes which catapulted him to limelight. In 1758, after terminating his services to the Almanac, he published Father Abraham's Sermon, one of the most applauded literary works in the Colonial America. Having a passion for communal affairs, Benjamin was involved in the development of the University of Pennsylvania and the American Philosophical Society (Eliot, 1998).

Main Events in Benjamin's Socio-Political Life

Besides his contributions in the literary field, Benjamin Franklin's life was also marked by a number of events, especially in his political career that are worth noting. For instance, in 1757 he brought a bill to the parliament which sought to