Benjamin Franklin - Revision history

DavidB4-bot: clean up, typos fixed: 1767-1769 → 1767–1769, 1697-1735 → 1697–1735 (3)

2026-10-22T21:57:07Z

clean up, typos fixed: 1767-1769 → 1767–1769, 1697-1735 → 1697–1735 (3)

RobSmith: /* Opposes multiculturalism */

2025-09-21T01:53:13Z

Opposes multiculturalism

Telling: /* Philadelphia Printer */

2025-08-17T17:51:50Z

Philadelphia Printer

Conservative: /* Philadelphia Printer */

2025-08-17T09:46:39Z

Philadelphia Printer

RobSmith: /* External links */

2024-07-06T03:15:53Z

External links

Conservative: /* Marriage */

2024-06-12T05:26:01Z

Marriage

Conservative: /* Early life */

2024-06-12T05:25:42Z

Early life

Aschlafly: copy-edit improvements until Stamp Act

2024-06-12T05:17:27Z

copy-edit improvements until Stamp Act

Show changes

Conservative: /* External links */

2024-03-07T17:46:56Z

External links

Conservative: /* Civic leader */

2023-12-23T01:34:47Z

Civic leader

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 ==Early life==
-Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]] into a Puritan family.  His father was Josiah Franklin, a soap and candle maker, who was married twice and had 17 children.  Benjamin briefly attended the very good South Grammar School (affiliated with the Boston Latin School), then at age 10 was pulled out by his father. He was apprenticed at age 12 to his brother James Franklin  (1697-1735), one of the first American printers.  James published ''New England Courant'' and it became Ben's first public forum for his essays, written under the pseudonym "Silence Dogood."  Ben, pretending to be a widow, wrote 14 essays in 1722.  The essays drew the anger of the local authorities, who prohibited James from publishing it, citing that it mocked religion.  Ben, now aged 17, was under legal obligation to his brother but broke with him, and ran away to Philadelphia on his own.  Franklin visited his many relatives in Boston in 1733  and reconciled with his brother, and when James died at the age of 38, Ben helped his widow and took charge of James' oldest son.
+Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]] into a Puritan family.  His father was Josiah Franklin, a soap and candle maker, who was married twice and had 17 children.  Benjamin briefly attended the very good South Grammar School (affiliated with the Boston Latin School), then at age 10 was pulled out by his father. He was apprenticed at age 12 to his brother James Franklin  (1697–1735), one of the first American printers.  James published ''New England Courant'' and it became Ben's first public forum for his essays, written under the pseudonym "Silence Dogood."  Ben, pretending to be a widow, wrote 14 essays in 1722.  The essays drew the anger of the local authorities, who prohibited James from publishing it, citing that it mocked religion.  Ben, now aged 17, was under legal obligation to his brother but broke with him, and ran away to Philadelphia on his own.  Franklin visited his many relatives in Boston in 1733  and reconciled with his brother, and when James died at the age of 38, Ben helped his widow and took charge of James' oldest son.
 ==Philadelphia Printer ==
@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 :"why should the Palatine Boors be suffered to swarm into our Settlements and, by herding together, establish their Language and Manners, to the Exclusion of ours? Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Angli-fying them .. .?"
-Despite Franklin's fears, German settlers helped secure the colony's borders against France's Indian supporters during the French and Indian War. Franklin's 1751 remarks came back to haunt him during the 1764 election to determine whether Pennsylvania would remain a proprietary colony or become a royal one (as Franklin advocated) when Franklin's opponents used his comments about the German colonists to defeat his position. Franklin kept silent about the Germans. He was pleased that the Reformed and Lutheran Germans supported the French and Indian War (1757–63) and, even more important, the American Revolution (1775-1783), even as the numerous German pacifist sects like the Dunkers, Amish and Mennonites remained neutral. Franklin and the Germans finally were reconciled in 1787 when Franklin College (now Franklin and Marshall College), was established to promote an better knowledge of the German and English languages, and was named in his honor by the Germans.<ref>John B. Frantz, "Franklin and the Pennsylvania Germans" ''Pennsylvania History'' 1998 65(1): 21-34. 0031-4528; Glenn Weaver, "Benjamin Franklin and the Pennsylvania Germans," ''William and Mary Quarterly'' Vol. 14, No. 4 (Oct., 1957), pp. 536-559 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1918520 in JSTOR]</ref>
+Despite Franklin's fears, German settlers helped secure the colony's borders against France's Indian supporters during the French and Indian War. Franklin's 1751 remarks came back to haunt him during the 1764 election to determine whether Pennsylvania would remain a proprietary colony or become a royal one (as Franklin advocated) when Franklin's opponents used his comments about the German colonists to defeat his position. Franklin kept silent about the Germans. He was pleased that the Reformed and Lutheran Germans supported the French and Indian War (1757–63) and, even more important, the American Revolution (1775–1783), even as the numerous German pacifist sects like the Dunkers, Amish and Mennonites remained neutral. Franklin and the Germans finally were reconciled in 1787 when Franklin College (now Franklin and Marshall College), was established to promote an better knowledge of the German and English languages, and was named in his honor by the Germans.<ref>John B. Frantz, "Franklin and the Pennsylvania Germans" ''Pennsylvania History'' 1998 65(1): 21-34. 0031-4528; Glenn Weaver, "Benjamin Franklin and the Pennsylvania Germans," ''William and Mary Quarterly'' Vol. 14, No. 4 (Oct., 1957), pp. 536-559 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1918520 in JSTOR]</ref>
 In response to the British conquest of French-speaking Quebec in 1759, he wrote "The Canada Pamphlet." It stands as one of the most complex and sophisticated pieces of pre-Revolutionary American thought. In it, Franklin entertained ideas of a homogeneous American population in manners, language, and religion as a reaction against ethnic and political warfare within Europe. Drawing on the ideas of [[Thomas Hobbes]], [[David Hume]], and [[Baruch Spinoza]], Franklin believed that political and ethnic relations were exclusively dominated by power, leaving no room for multiculturalism in America, preferring instead the implementation of the British Crown model to foster internal peace in the colonies.  Having a reputation as anti-German hurt Franklin politically, and he dropped nativism after 1765.<ref>Alberto Lena, "Benjamin Franklin's 'Canada Pamphlet' or 'The Ravings of a Mad Prophet': Nationalism, Ethnicity and Imperialism." ''European Journal of American Culture'' 2001 20(1): 36-49. 1466-0407</ref>
@@ Line 114: / Line 114: @@
 ===Hutchinson letters===
-In 1773, Franklin somehow obtained the originals of secret letters written written 1767-1769 by Thomas Hutchinson when he was Chief Justice of Massachusetts to a member of the British government soliciting troops and urging abridgment of American liberties. Franklin sent the letters to friends in the colony, who in turn published them.  His intent was to pin the blame on people like Hutchinson for encouraging the unpopular policies, which he hoped would promote a spirit of reconciliation with Britain.  He misjudged the situation, however, which led to the Massachusetts Assembly demanding that Parliament remove Hutchinson from his governorship. London by now had lost all patience with the American colonies and had embarked on a series of punishments designed to humiliate the Americans and make them stay in their inferior places. London sent more troops to Boston and brought Franklin before the Privy Council where he was viciously humiliated in public on January 29, 1775.  He was stripped of his position of postmaster.
+In 1773, Franklin somehow obtained the originals of secret letters written written 1767–1769 by Thomas Hutchinson when he was Chief Justice of Massachusetts to a member of the British government soliciting troops and urging abridgment of American liberties. Franklin sent the letters to friends in the colony, who in turn published them.  His intent was to pin the blame on people like Hutchinson for encouraging the unpopular policies, which he hoped would promote a spirit of reconciliation with Britain.  He misjudged the situation, however, which led to the Massachusetts Assembly demanding that Parliament remove Hutchinson from his governorship. London by now had lost all patience with the American colonies and had embarked on a series of punishments designed to humiliate the Americans and make them stay in their inferior places. London sent more troops to Boston and brought Franklin before the Privy Council where he was viciously humiliated in public on January 29, 1775.  He was stripped of his position of postmaster.
 Franklin's political roles in London in 1757-62 and 1764-75 reshaped his political views. Although he loved the scientists and intellectuals, he hated the politicians. He came to see Britain as vain and corrupt, and he returned to his native America in 1775 with the hope that in a still-uncorrupted republic virtue might prevail.<ref>Esmond Wright, "'The Fine and Noble China Vase, The British  Empire': Benjamin Franklin's 'Love-Hate' View of  England". ''Pennsylvania Magazine of History And Biography''  1987 111(4): 435-464.</ref>
@@ Line 273: / Line 273: @@
 * Franklin, Benjamin. ''Franklin: Writings'', ed. J.A. Leo Lemay, Library of America (1987) [https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Writings-Library-America-Benjamin/dp/0940450291/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207333906&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]; [http://infomotions.com/alex/?cmd=search&query=creator:Franklin complete text online free]
 * Franklin, Benjamin. ''Information to Those Who Would Remove to America'' (1784)
-*Labaree, Leonard W., et al., eds., ''The Papers of Benjamin Franklin'' 35 vols. to date (1959-2002) -  definitive edition, through 1781. This massive collection of BF's writings, and letters to him, is available in print form at large research libraries. [http://www.franklinpapers.org/franklin/index.jsp?src=g1&gclid=CJ6my-GEwpICFSgwiQodDQldrA the complete text, searchable, is online free from Yale] It is most useful for detailed research on very specific topics.
+*Labaree, Leonard W., et al., eds., ''The Papers of Benjamin Franklin'' 35 vols. to date (1959–2002) -  definitive edition, through 1781. This massive collection of BF's writings, and letters to him, is available in print form at large research libraries. [http://www.franklinpapers.org/franklin/index.jsp?src=g1&gclid=CJ6my-GEwpICFSgwiQodDQldrA the complete text, searchable, is online free from Yale] It is most useful for detailed research on very specific topics.
 *[http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/ Yale edition of complete works of Benjamin Franklin]
 *[http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/fellows/bob_morse_04/ The Electrical Writings of Benjamin Franklin] Collected by Robert A. Morse, 2004.

@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 ===Opposes multiculturalism===
-Franklin had a vision of an ethnically homogeneous America, and so he had negative views on the large and expanding German community in Pennsylvania (usually called the "Pennsylvania Dutch.")  Franklin's first contacts with the Pennsylvania Germans concerned business. In 1731 he printed two books in German for German Baptists; he also printed into pamphlet form a letter from Conrad Weiser, an Indian negotiator, to Christopher Sauer, a German-language publisher. However, in from the late 1740s into the 1750s, Franklin believed that the Germans could not be assimilated into Englishmen and thus would always be aliens. He disliked the failure of the Germans to assimilate—they had their own language, religion and customs, and showed no interest in becoming like Englishmen or in joining the militia.  In "Observations on the Increase of Mankind" (1751), Franklin expressed his opposition toward German immigrants, whom he ridiculed:
+Franklin had a vision of an ethnically homogeneous America, and so he had negative views on the large and expanding German community in Pennsylvania (usually called the "Pennsylvania Dutch.")  Franklin's first contacts with the Pennsylvania Germans concerned business. In 1731 he printed two books in German for German Baptists; he also printed into pamphlet form a letter from Conrad Weiser, an Indian [[negotiator]], to Christopher Sauer, a German-language publisher. However, in from the late 1740s into the 1750s, Franklin believed that the Germans could not be assimilated into Englishmen and thus would always be aliens. He disliked the failure of the Germans to assimilate—they had their own language, religion and customs, and showed no interest in becoming like Englishmen or in joining the militia.  In "Observations on the Increase of Mankind" (1751), Franklin expressed his opposition toward German immigrants, whom he ridiculed:
 :"why should the Palatine Boors be suffered to swarm into our Settlements and, by herding together, establish their Language and Manners, to the Exclusion of ours? Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Angli-fying them .. .?"

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 ==Philadelphia Printer ==
-Franklin found work as a printer in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania governor William Keith was one of his patrons, and he persuaded Franklin to go into business for himself and offered him letters of credit in London to purchase equipment.  When he arrived in London in December 1724, he learned that Keith's letters of credit were useless.  Franklin stayed in London, working in the local print shops.  In 1726, he returned to Philadelphia and again worked in print shops. In 1728, Franklin partnered with Hugh Meredith to open their own print shop.  Franklin soon bought out Meredith and in 1730 began publishing ''The Pennsylvania Gazette'' newspaper, which he bought from his former employer, Samuel Keimer.  Besides the newspaper and almanac, he was a job printer and churned out pamphlets, religious tracts, playbills, tickets, advertisements, legal forms, soap wrappers, election notices, currency, carrier addresses, government documents, book labels, school books such as [[The New England Primer]], and other ephemeral items.  In his leisure moments, he taught himself to read French, Spanish, Italian, and Latin.
+Franklin found work as a printer in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania governor William Keith was one of his patrons, and he persuaded Franklin to go into business for himself and offered him letters of credit in London to purchase equipment.  When he arrived in London in December 1724, he learned that Keith's letters of credit were useless.  Franklin stayed in London, working in the local print shops.  In 1726, he returned to Philadelphia and again worked in print shops. In 1728, Franklin partnered with Hugh Meredith to open their own print shop.  Franklin soon bought out Meredith and in 1730 began publishing ''The Pennsylvania Gazette'' newspaper, which he bought from his former employer, Samuel Keimer.  Besides the newspaper and almanac, he was a job printer and churned out pamphlets, religious tracts, playbills, tickets, advertisements, legal forms, soap wrappers, election notices, currency, carrier addresses, government documents, book labels, school books such as [[The New England Primer]], and other ephemeral items.  In his leisure moments, he taught himself to read [[French]], [[Spanish]], [[Italian]], and [[Latin]].
 ===Almanack===

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:46, August 17, 2025
Line 18:		Line 18:

	===Almanack===		===Almanack===
		+	[[File:Benjamin Franklin 1767.jpg\|200px\|thumb\|right\|Benjamin Franklin, 1767.]]
	{{main\|Poor Richard's Almanack}}		{{main\|Poor Richard's Almanack}}

@@ Line 300: / Line 300: @@
 [[Category:American Authors]]
 [[Category:Scientists]]
-[[Category:Diplomacy]]
+[[Category:International Relations]]
 [[Category:Enlightenment]]
 [[Category:British Empire]]

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 ==Marriage==
-In September 1730, Franklin entered a common law marriage with Deborah Read. No legal ceremony was possible because Deborah was still legally married; her husband had deserted to avoid paying a debt. Around this time, Franklin fathered an illegitimate son by an unknown woman; [[William Franklin]] was raised in his new household.  In 1732, his first son with Deborah, Francis died of smallpox at the age of 4, leading Franklin to become an advocate of vaccinations.  Sarah Franklin, who went by Sally, was born 11 years later in 1743.
+In September 1730, Franklin entered a common law marriage with Deborah Read. No legal ceremony was possible because Deborah was still legally married; her husband had deserted to avoid paying a debt. Around this time, Franklin fathered an illegitimate son by an unknown woman; William Franklin was raised in his new household.  In 1732, his first son with Deborah, Francis died of smallpox at the age of 4, leading Franklin to become an advocate of vaccinations.  Sarah Franklin, who went by Sally, was born 11 years later in 1743.
 ==Civic leader==

@@ Line 287: / Line 287: @@
 *[http://www.english.udel.edu/lemay/franklin/ Leo Lemay, ed. ''"Benjamin Franklin: A Documentary History"]
 * [https://librivox.org/author/350 Works by Benjamin Franklin - text and free audio] - [[LibriVox]]
+*[https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2006/01/15/ben-franklin-was-a-genius/31470688007/ Ben Franklin was a genius], ''The Gainsville Sun''
 {{Declaration of Independence}}
 {{Constitutional Convention}}{{Greatest Thinkers}}

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 ==Civic leader==
-[[File:The_Foundation_of_American_Government_Hy_Hintermeister.jpg|thumbnail|right|300px|Reproduction of painting of [[George Washington]], [[Benjamin Franklin]] and others signing the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Henry Hintermeister.]]
+[[File:The_Foundation_of_American_Government_Hy_Hintermeister.jpg|thumbnail|right|300px|Reproduction of painting of [[George Washington]], Benjamin Franklin and others signing the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Henry Hintermeister.]]
 Franklin became Philadelphia's leading citizen, founding and leading many civic organizations.  He was the founder of the American tradition of boosterism, as well as a systematic thinker who analyzed urban problems in the context of rapid population growth.  Franklin's understanding of and solution for the urban problems of a growing Philadelphia shaped his later ideas about city-country relationships and his pessimism regarding the future of the United States. Beginning in the 1730s, Franklin actively and publicly addressed such issues as the link between the environment and disease, fire prevention, pollution from tanneries, and restoring the water system in the center of the city (called the Dock) through various engineering projects. Franklin helped improve fire safety and waste handling by mid-century, but manufacturing interests could not be controlled. Franklin believed America would eventually exhaust its vast supply of open, unpopulated land and become increasingly urbanized and demographically imbalanced, thereby making Philadelphia's problems the nation's.<ref>A. Michal McMahon, "'Small Matters': Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia, and the 'Progress of Cities.'" ''Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography'' 1992 116(2): 157-182. 0031-4587</ref>