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The Compleated Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin: 1757-1790
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The Compleated Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin: 1757-1790
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The Compleated Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin: 1757-1790
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The Compleated Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin: 1757-1790

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Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography is one of the greatest autobiographies of all timebut it was incomplete. Franklin ended his life’s story in 1757, when he was fifty–one. He lived another thirty–three eventful years, serving as America’s advocate in London, Pennsylvania’s representative in the Continental Congress, and America’s wartime ambassador to France. Here is the rest of the story, in Franklin’s own words. One of the most fascinating of our founding fathers, Franklin was a polymath, a practical statesman, and an incomparable cynic and wit. The Compleated Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin, faithfully compiled and edited from Franklin’s papers, reveals why he became a spokesman for American independence as well as his views on the Constitution, such fellow patriots as Adams and Jefferson, on French women, and more. Mark Skousen is a descendant of Benjamin Franklin through Franklin’s grandson Louis Bache.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJul 1, 2007
ISBN9781596985759
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The Compleated Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin: 1757-1790
Author

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was an American writer, printer, politician, postmaster, scientist, and diplomat. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Franklin found success at a young age as editor and printer of the Pennsylvania Gazette, a prominent Philadelphia newspaper. From 1732 to 1758, Franklin published Poor Richard’s Almanack, a popular yearly pamphlet that earned Franklin much of his wealth. An influential Philadelphian, Franklin founded the Academy and College of Philadelphia, which would become the University of Pennsylvania, in 1751. In addition, Franklin founded the Library Company of Philadelphia, as well as the city’s first fire department. As revolutionary sentiment was on the rise in the thirteen colonies, Franklin traveled to London to advocate on behalf of Americans unhappy with British rule, earning a reputation as a skilled diplomat and shrewd negotiator. During the American Revolution, his relationships with French officials would prove essential for the war effort, the success of which depended upon munitions shipments from France. Over the next few decades, he would serve as the first postmaster general of the United States and as governor of Pennsylvania while maintaining his diplomatic duties. A dedicated and innovative scientist, Franklin is credited with important discoveries regarding the nature of electricity, as well as with inventing the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove. A slaveowner for many years, Franklin eventually became an abolitionist. Although he failed to raise the issue during the 1787 Constitutional Convention, he led the Pennsylvania Abolitionist Society and wrote essays on the subject of slavery, which he deemed “an atrocious debasement of human nature.”

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Was fun to read what Franklin had to say not only about himself but about his beliefs and society as well; essential reading for any serious history student/buff
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This autobiography is written as a letter, once interrupted for a decade or more, to his son. As many people have pointed out during history, the author is inclined to only include the facts they want and from their point of view. A self-congratulatory tome, Benjamin Franklin has much for to be proud of himself. I enjoy his writing style and found this book to be interesting.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I personally think that this was one of the best books that I have ever read. I do not think that everyone will agree with me but I love Benjamin Franklin. He is by far my favorite character from the American Revolution! This was my second time reading this book and it was much better the second time. I think that it had a lot to do with me being older and being able to relate to the things that Mr.Franklin talks about such as virtue, temperance and other things along those lines that you really just do not start to understand until you have a few years under your belt lol. This edition was also really cool because it is not only the autobiography but also other selected writings from Ben Franklin. Some of these letters and other short writings were really good and only serve to help the reader get a better understanding of some of the points that Franklin was getting at in his autobiography. I would recommend this book to anyone with a appreciation for history!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An interesting autobiography of an interesting man, though he did seem kind of arrogant.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What do you know of Benjamin Franklin? You are probably aware that he was a well known statesman, influential in America's founding. You are probably also aware of an experiment he did with a kite and a key. In fact, he is lucky he survived it!He was born the fifteenth child of twenty. His father was married twice and had ten children born to each marriage. Benjamin was the youngest son of the family. He only had two years of formal education; most of his education was self imposed. At age twelve he was apprenticed to an older brother who owned a printing shop. His most famous pen-name, Silence Dogood, was created in an attempt to see his letters to his brother's newspaper published, for his brother would not allow him to write for the paper! He "became" Silence Dogood, a middle-aged widow, at the tender age of sixteen.Some things you may not have known about him are that he was also: a writer; journalist; printer; publisher; philosopher; patriot and (oldest) signer of the Declaration of Independence; diplomat; arbiter; humorist, and quite a ladies' man. He was: a proponent for and one of the first to suggest the first true fire department whereof men would be assigned to a particular fire engine rather than goodwill and amateurs continuing to be the force with which fire was fought. Being an entrepreneur he also established the first fire insurance company! He proposed that the firefighters would practice and share information and that their skills at fighting fires would therefore improve. Franklin urged the licensing of chimney sweeps and proposed that homeowners should be required to keep leather fire-fighting buckets at their property.