View source for Poor Richard's Almanack

'''Poor Richard's Almanack''' was an annual almanac published by [[Benjamin Franklin]].  Poor Richard's ran for 26 years.

==Background==
In late 1732, he began writing and publishing ''Poor Richard's Almanack'', under the guise of "Poor Richard Saunders" and his wife, Bridget, both fictional characters.  The almanack provided useful information on the seasons while enlightening the reader with witty short sayings. Franklin had a knack for rewording and improving old proverbs in a wittier manner. The almanac appeared annually from 1732 to 1758, selling over 250,000 copies.

''Poor Richard's Almanack'' shaped provincial society by trumpeting the virtuous common man and by pushing such men into active roles in the public sphere. ''Poor Richard'' outsold competing almanacs published by Atkins, Leeds, Taylor, Jerman, Birkett, and Godfrey by appealing to and providing information for the masses. In the process, Franklin spread the Whig ideology that became American [[republicanism]] to his readers. He praised them for having a better intuitive political knowledge and devotion to republican virtue than those in higher social positions. While trying to open the public sphere to men of ability (like himself), Franklin closed it to women, the poor, and non-English nationalities and races. By discussing Pennsylvania politics and other issues, ''Poor Richard's Almanack'' sought to transform its readers into diligent citizens who would help develop a politically active private sphere within colonial America.<ref>William Pencak, "Politics and Ideololgy in Poor Richard's Almanack". ''Pennsylvania Magazine Ideologyof History and Biography'' 1992 116(2): 183-211</ref>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [https://librivox.org/poor-richards-almanack-by-benjamin-franklin/ Poor Richard's Almanack], by Benjamin Franklin - [[LibriVox]]
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* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=1&page=280c Poor Richard, 1733]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=2&page=136a Poor Richard, 1734]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=2&page=003a Poor Richard, 1735]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=2&page=136a Poor Richard, 1736]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=2&page=162c Poor Richard, 1737]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=2&page=190f Poor Richard, 1738]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=2&page=217b Poor Richard, 1739]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=2&page=245c Poor Richard, 1740]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=2&page=292a Poor Richard, 1741]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=2&page=331d Poor Richard, 1742]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=2&page=365f Poor Richard, 1743]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=2&page=393e Poor Richard, 1744]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=3&page=003a Poor Richard, 1745]
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* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=3&page=060a Poor Richard, 1746]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=3&page=100c Poor Richard, 1747]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=3&page=243a Poor Richard Improved, 1748]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=3&page=331a Poor Richard Improved, 1749]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=3&page=437a Poor Richard Improved, 1750]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=4&page=084a Poor Richard Improved, 1751]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=4&page=243a Poor Richard Improved, 1752]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=4&page=403a Poor Richard Improved, 1753]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=5&page=181a Poor Richard Improved, 1754]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=5&page=467a Poor Richard Improved, 1755]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=6&page=315b Poor Richard Improved, 1756]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=7&page=074a Poor Richard Improved, 1757]
* [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=7&page=326a Poor Richard Improved, 1758]
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[[Category:Books]]