Benjamin Franklin
From Motley Bytes Wiki
Benjamin Franklin. (1706 – 1790). American polymath and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Franklin was a leading writer, printer, political philosopher, politician, Freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, humorist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat.
Noteworthy
- Founding father of the U.S.
- Poor Richard's Almanack.
- U.S. ambassador to France.
- First president of the Academy and College of Philadelphia.
- Spearheaded the repeal of the unpopular Stamp Act.
- Argued against slavery and became an active abolitionist.
- Scientist studies of electricity. Positive and negative.
- Inventions include the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove.
- Founded Philadelphia's first fire department and the University of Pennsylvania.
- First United States postmaster general.
- Earned the title of "The First American" for his early and indefatigable campaigning for colonial unity.
- Flying a kite in a storm to prove lightning is electricity.
- Civic and personal virtue, as expressed in Poor Richard's aphorisms.
- Supporter of inoculations.
Controversies
- Freemasonry.
- Licentious nature. Wrote a letter called "Advice to a Friend on Choosing a Mistress". Hellfire Club.
- Franklin owned as many as seven slaves; however, he later became an outspoken critic of slavery.
