Benjamin Franklin
(1706 – 1790)
America’s
first “Self-
Made Man”
“Jack of all
trades,
master of
each and
mastered by
none …”
A Maxim, an Adage, An
Aphorism: All Words to the Wise
• Three may keep a secret
if two of them are dead.
• Glass, china, and
reputation are easily
cracked and never well
mended.
• Fish and visitors smell
in three days.
• He that lieth down with
dogs shall rise with
fleas.
Poor Richard’s Almanack
• A Word to the Wise is Enough.
• Many words don’t fill a bushel.
• He that lives on Hope will Die
Fasting.
• There are no pains without gains.
• Little strokes fell great oaks.
• Now I have a sheep and a cow;
everyone bids me good morrow.
Ben’s Early
Life
• Born in Boston
• One of 17 children
• Left school at the
age of 10 to work
with his father
• Taught himself
algebra, geometry,
natural and physical
sciences, logic,
grammar, navigation,
and French, German,
Italian, Spanish, and
Latin.
As a teenager, Benjamin
• Apprenticed in his
older brother’s print
shop
• Wrote political
editorials under the
name “Mrs. Silence
Dogood”
• When his brother
discovered Franklin’s
deception, they parted
company on poor
terms.
Already Politically Minded
• Franklin’s
editorials were
highly opinionated
writings speaking
out against the
British government,
taxation. religion,
and any other
controversial topic
he could explore.
• When Franklin left
his brother’s employ,
his brother made sure
he could not get a
job in Boston.
• So at 17, with only a
few coins in his
pocket earned from
selling some of his
books, Franklin’s
friend Collins
booked passage for
him on a ship to New
York.
A Funny Fact:
• Collins secured
Franklin’s passage
by telling the
captain that
Franklin had
gotten a girl
pregnant and that
the girl’s family
insisted that
Franklin marry
her.
Early Struggles
• No work was
available in New
York, so Franklin
sailed to
Philadelphia.
• During the trip, Ben
saved a drunk,
drowning Dutchman
and was given
Pilgrim’s Progress,
Franklin’s favorite
book.
A Note About Pilgrim’s
Progress
A religious allegory
written by a Puritan -
John Bunyan and
published in 1678
It is the story of a
hero “Christian” and
his journey to
salvation.
Franklin liked it for
literary and
historical reasons,
not because he was a
Christian.
Upon Arriving in
Philadelphia -
• Franklin had 1 Dutch
dollar and 1 copper
shilling.
• His clothes, socks and a
shirt, were stuffed in his
pockets.
• He bought three loaves of
bread, carrying them under
his arms, but having eaten
his fill, Benjamin gave two
of them to a woman and her
child.
• By 24, he was a prosperous
merchant, printer, and
publisher of a newspaper.
Franklin’s Plan for Moral Perfection
TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself;
avoid trifling conversation.
ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of
your business have its time.
RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform
without fail what you resolve.
FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or
yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something
useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly,
and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the
benefits that are your duty.
MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so
much as you think they deserve.
CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes,
or habitation.
TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents
common or unavoidable.
CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring,
never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or
another's peace or reputation.
HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
How Did He Order His
Virtues?
Franklin ordered his virtues so
that the acquiring of one
facilitated the acquisition of the
next; in other words, if he
mastered temperance first,
temperance would make the
attainment of silence easier.
Once Franklin was temperate and
silent, then order could then
follow, etc.
How Did He Do?
In pursuing moral perfection, Franklin found
that “While my care was employ'd in guarding
against one fault, I was often surprised by
another; habit took the advantage of
inattention; inclination was sometimes too
strong for reason. I concluded, at length,
that the mere speculative conviction that it
was our interest to be completely virtuous,
was not sufficient to prevent our slipping;
and that the contrary habits must be broken,
and good ones acquired and established,
before we can have any dependence on a
steady, uniform rectitude of conduct.”
Ultimately,
• Though he felt he miserably failed
at attaining perfection, he
believed he was the better person
for his noble attempt, and his lack
of success was not because it was
impossible but because he was not
completely committed to
perfection’s attainment.
Franklin’s Inventions:
• An open heating stove
called the Franklin
stove
• Bifocal glasses
• A type of harmonica
• A rocking chair that
could swat flies
• An odometer
• Swim Fins
• Daylight Savings Time
Franklin’s Many
Accomplishments
• First public library
• First fire station
• Fire insurance
• Founded the
University of
Pennsylvania
• Promoted paved
streets, sewer lines,
and street lighting.
Franklin’s Most Noted
Discovery was -
• That lightening is
an electrical
current
• He invented the
lightening rod to
protect people,
buildings, and
ships from
electrocution.
In His Latter Years -
• Franklin was a
popular diplomat
and spent several
years in England
representing the
colonies’ interests.
• When war was
inevitable, he
returned to America
and helped draft the
Declaration of
Independence.
Aphorisms: Concise, witty
truths about life.
• If you would know the
value of money, go and
try to borrow some; he
that goes a-borrowing
goes a-sorrowing.
• ‘Tis hard for an empty bag
to stand upright.
• A small leak will sink a
great ship.
• Love your neighbor; yet
don’t pull down your
hedge.
• One day is worth two
tomorrows.