Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

by Adriana Geraldo

Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts which was then a British colony. He was a scientist, inventor, politician, and author and also considered to be one of the founding fathers of America. As a young boy, Ben wanted to be a sailor, but his father would not agree. He did not go to school for very long, however, Franklin was an extraordinarily smart man. He had a printing shop in Philadelphia and eventually became to be the first postmaster general in America before he became involved with politics. Franklin was a kind and helpful man who also became involved with public affairs that he felt strongly about. For example, he helped launch a new library, college and even a hospital in his community which plays a big role in his remembrance. He also served in the Second Continental Congress and helped draft the Declaration of Independence.

Not only was Franklin a helpful citizen, his list of inventions is quite interesting. He was a large figure in the American enlightenment as he developed and discovered many facts about electricity. A few of the biggest and most common of his inventions that is still being used every single day are bi focal lenses for prescription eyewear, catheter, and stove. He loved to read and naturally, as he became older, his vision became blurrier. He grew tired of switching off two different glasses to see two different things, so he cut both, and made them into one pair. Another big invention that is used on many urologic medical fields and offices would be the catheter. Catheters are still greatly used and continue to have a meaningful purpose. As a man of many things, Franklin was also a strong writer who was very blunt and sincere.

Franklin wrote often and of plenty. As man of many things he was also a great writer who eventually became the publisher of his own printing. He wrote an autobiography that was much more than just that. With writings from 1771 to 1790, it was intended for his son and was filled with advice. One of the biggest and most important literary pieces that Benjamin Franklin wrote was Information to Those Who Would Remove to America. In it, he urged and informed the Europeans on the harsh realities of America. For example, he states” There [sic] are all wild Imaginations, and those who go to America with Expectations founded upon them will surely find themselves disappointed. The Truth is that though there are in that Country few People so miserable as the Poor of Europe, there are also very few that in Europe would be called rich  it is rather a general happy Mediocrity [middle ground] that prevails.”. Europeans, at the time, had a utopian vision on the nation to be paradise–a place where dreams come true with little to no work. They expected to be well off and work very little for big and great things. In the essay, Franklin explained how America was not a playground and was not there to cater to anyone. On the contrary, it challenged its citizens and was not to be taken for granted. People had to work hard for a living, and no one was getting any handouts. He emphasized that America was no place for those who did not want to work and thought more of themselves than others.

Text included with the permission of the author.

Image: Portrait of Benjamin Franklin, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons.