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==Ambassador==

==Ambassador==

[[Image:Franklin - France.jpg|right|340px]]

[[Image:Franklin - France.jpg|right|340px]]

Franklin was America's first  minister (ambassador) to King [[Louis XVI]] in [[France]], where where he was instrumental in obtaining military and economic support for the struggle against Britain. Franklin arrived to great fanfare in France.  Already well-known for his lightning experiment,  his flirtatious manner and wit made him a favorite among the courtiers.  Franklin systematically mingled with scientists, writers, intellectuals and government officials in Paris. He avoided court costumes and cultivated the image of a rustic American, sometimes wearing a coonskin cap. The French loved every bit of it and his popularity helped in securing recognition, money and armies and navies to fight Britain.

Franklin was America's first  minister (ambassador) to King [[Louis XVI]] in [[France]], where he was instrumental in obtaining military and economic support for the struggle against Britain. Franklin arrived to great fanfare in France.  Already well known for his lightning experiment,  his flirtatious manner and wit made him a favorite among the courtiers.  Franklin systematically mingled with scientists, writers, intellectuals and government officials in Paris. He avoided court costumes and cultivated the image of a rustic American, sometimes wearing a coonskin cap. The French loved every bit of it and his popularity helped in securing recognition, money and armies and navies to fight Britain.

===Diplomat===

===Diplomat===

==Death==

==Death==

Franklin died on April 17, 1790 at the age of 84 and was buried at Christ Church in Philadelphia.  Civic-minded to the end, Franklin's will established a 200 year trust fund for Boston and Philadelphia which was to be used to train and educate young craftsmen.  Both cities have held true to Franklin's wishes, providing aid to students and establishing the Franklin Institute of Boston.

Franklin died on April 17, 1790 at the age of 84 and was buried at Christ Church in Philadelphia.  Civic-minded to the end, Franklin's will established a 200-year trust fund for Boston and Philadelphia which was to be used to train and educate young craftsmen.  Both cities have held true to Franklin's wishes, providing aid to students and establishing the Franklin Institute of Boston.

==Religious Beliefs==

==Religious Beliefs==

Franklin progressed from a skepticism towards Puritanism as a youth to a strong belief in God and prayers for His intervention.  At all times Franklin believed in God, but was unable to define what God meant for his soul; he never joined a church. Like most in Pennsylvania, he respected freedom of religion by others, but also emphasized the importance of religion in maintaining a society; much of his writing was designed to promote moral behavior. [[Liberals]] often like to bring up that  he stated  "lighthouses are more helpful than churches", as if that is some kind of "proof" that Franklin was only a Deist. It is merely [[liberal deceit]]. The British political system at the time of the American rebellion was based very firmly on Anglican Protestantism. Laws stated very clearly the monarch had to be a protestant, and also that they were the head of The Church of England; even Protestants who were not Anglican had to pay for their own priests and build their own churches. Catholics were still denied the vote. To gather enough support among the colonists to successfully achieve independence, their leaders had to offer them something different, and to belittle the Anglican church in particular, so as to undermine the foundation of the British political system that ruled the American colonies. So, Franklin was saying that functional, useful things (such as lighthouses) contributed more to the safety and well-being of the individual than buildings that provided spiritual things (such as churches). It was his clever means of motivation, not some far-reaching personal belief of his.

Franklin progressed from a skepticism towards Puritanism as a youth to a strong belief in God and prayers for His intervention.  At all times Franklin believed in God, but was unable to define what God meant for his soul; he never joined a church. Like most in Pennsylvania, he respected freedom of religion by others, but also emphasized the importance of religion in maintaining a society; much of his writing was designed to promote moral behavior. [[Liberals]] often like to bring up that  he stated  "lighthouses are more helpful than churches", as if that is some kind of "proof" that Franklin was only a Deist. It is merely [[liberal deceit]]. The British political system at the time of the American rebellion was based very firmly on Anglican Protestantism. Laws stated very clearly the monarch had to be a Protestant, and also that they were the head of The Church of England; even Protestants who were not Anglican had to pay for their own priests and build their own churches. Catholics were still denied the vote. To gather enough support among the colonists to successfully achieve independence, their leaders had to offer them something different, and to belittle the Anglican church in particular, so as to undermine the foundation of the British political system that ruled the American colonies. So, Franklin was saying that functional, useful things (such as lighthouses) contributed more to the safety and well-being of the individual than buildings that provided spiritual things (such as churches). It was his clever means of motivation, not some far-reaching personal belief of his.

Young Ben was an avid reader. "From a child I was fond of reading, and all the little money that came into my hands was ever laid out in books. Pleased with the ''[[Pilgrim's Progress]],'' my first collection was of [[John Bunyan]]'s works in separate little volumes.  My old favorite author, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress ... has been translated into most of the languages of Europe, and suppose it has been more generally read than any other book, except perhaps the Bible."''  

Young Ben was an avid reader. "From a child I was fond of reading, and all the little money that came into my hands was ever laid out in books. Pleased with the ''[[Pilgrim's Progress]],'' my first collection was of [[John Bunyan]]'s works in separate little volumes.  My old favorite author, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress ... has been translated into most of the languages of Europe, and suppose it has been more generally read than any other book, except perhaps the Bible."''  

* Ford, Paul Leicester.  ''The Many-Sided Franklin'' (1899) [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-many-sided-franklin-by-paul-leicester-ford.jsp online edition] - collection of scholarly essays

* Ford, Paul Leicester.  ''The Many-Sided Franklin'' (1899) [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-many-sided-franklin-by-paul-leicester-ford.jsp online edition] - collection of scholarly essays

* Lemay, J. A. Leo, ed.  ''Reappraising Benjamin Franklin: A Bicentennial Perspective'' (1993) -  scholarly essays

* Lemay, J. A. Leo, ed.  ''Reappraising Benjamin Franklin: A Bicentennial Perspective'' (1993) -  scholarly essays

* Lemay, J. A. Leo. ''The Life of Benjamin Franklin'' the most detailed scholarly biography, with very little interpetation; 3 volumes appeared before the author's death in 2008

* Lemay, J. A. Leo. ''The Life of Benjamin Franklin'' the most detailed scholarly biography, with very little interpretation; 3 volumes appeared before the author's death in 2008

** ''Volume 1: Journalist, 1706-1730'' (2005) 568pp [http://www.amazon.com/Life-Benjamin-Franklin-Journalist-1706-1730/dp/0812238540/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b excerpt and text search]  

** ''Volume 1: Journalist, 1706-1730'' (2005) 568pp [http://www.amazon.com/Life-Benjamin-Franklin-Journalist-1706-1730/dp/0812238540/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b excerpt and text search]  

** ''Volume 2: Printer and Publisher, 1730-1747'' (2005) 664pp; [http://www.amazon.com/Life-Benjamin-Franklin-Publisher-1730-1747/dp/0812238559/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b excerpt and text search]

** ''Volume 2: Printer and Publisher, 1730-1747'' (2005) 664pp; [http://www.amazon.com/Life-Benjamin-Franklin-Publisher-1730-1747/dp/0812238559/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b excerpt and text search]