Benjamin Franklin (1706

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Benjamin Franklin(1706 1790)

• Americas first Self-Made Man
• Jack of all trades, master of each and mastered
  by none

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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.

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Poor Richards Almanack

• A Word to the Wise is Enough.
• Many words dont 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.

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Bens 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.

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As a teenager, Benjamin

• Apprenticed in his older brothers print shop
• Wrote political editorials under the name Mrs.
  Silence Dogood
• When his brother discovered Franklins
  deception, they parted company on poor terms.

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Already Politically Minded

• Franklins editorials were highly opinionated
  writings speaking out against the British
  government, taxation. religion, and any other
  controversial topic he could explore.

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• When Franklin left his brothers 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, Franklins
  friend Collins booked passage for him on a ship
  to New York.

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A Funny Fact

• Collins secured Franklins passage by telling the
  captain that Franklin had gotten a girl pregnant
  and that the girls family insisted that Franklin
  marry her.

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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 Pilgrims Progress,
  Franklins favorite book.

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A Note About Pilgrims 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.

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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.

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Franklins 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.
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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.

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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.

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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 perfections
  attainment.

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Franklins 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

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Franklins Many Accomplishments

• First public library
• First fire station
• Fire insurance
• Founded the University of Pennsylvania
• Promoted paved streets, sewer lines, and street
  lighting.

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Franklins Most Noted Discovery was -

• That lightening is an electrical current
• He invented the lightening rod to protect people,
  buildings, and ships from electrocution.

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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.

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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 dont pull down your
  hedge.
• One day is worth two tomorrows.