A remarkable man.Born in 1706, Benjamin Franklin wore many hats throughout his life. He was a writer, printer, scientist, inventor, businessman, musician, diplomat, and statesman. He also helped found the United States of America UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The name of this country. The United States, now thirty-one in number, are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, . When Franklin died, in 1790, the French economist Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot wrote of him: "He snatched the lightning from the skies and the scepter scepter symbol of regal or imperial power and authority. [Western Culture: Misc.] See : Authority scepter denotes fairness and righteousness. [Heraldry: Halberts, 37] See : Justice [baton] from tyrants." Study some important events in Franklin's life in this time line, then answer the questions below. 1706-1717 On January 17, 1706, Benjamin Franklin is born into the large family of Josiah and Abiah Franklin in Boston, Massachusetts “Boston” redirects here. For other uses, see Boston (disambiguation). Boston is the capital and most populous city of Massachusetts.[3] The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the unofficial economic and cultural center of the entire New . His formal education ends at age 10. From 1716 to 1717, Ben works as an apprentice to his father, a soap and candle maker. 1718-1723 Ben becomes an apprentice to his older brother James, a printer. In 1722, he secretly writes a series of letters, signing them Silence Dogood, for James's weekly newspaper, the New-England Courant Cou`rant´ a. 1. (Her.) Represented as running; - said of a beast borne in a coat of arms. n. 1. A piece of music in triple time; also, a lively dance; a coranto. 2. . Rebelling against James's strictness, Ben abandons the apprenticeship in 1723 and runs away to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1728 At age 22, Franklin establishes his own printing business. Soon, he is printing the paper currency for the Colonies of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. Franklin's many enterprises come to include the Pennsylvania Gazette The Pennsylvania Gazette may be:
n. A library from which books may be borrowed or rented for a minimal fee. Also called circulating library. Noun 1. . 1732-1740 Franklin publishes the first Poor Richard's Almanack Poor Richard's Almanack (sometimes Almanac) was a yearly almanack published by Benjamin Franklin, who adopted the pseudonym of "Poor Richard" or "Richard Saunders" for this purpose. The publication appeared continuously from 1732 to 1758. , a best-selling collection of proverbs and witty sayings. Among his growing list of public offices is postmaster postmaster - The electronic mail contact and maintenance person at a site connected to the Internet or UUCPNET. Often, but not always, the same as the admin. The Internet standard for electronic mail (RFC 822) requires each machine to have a "postmaster" address; usually it is of Philadelphia (1737-1753). In 1740, he designs the Franklin stove, one of his many inventions (which include bifocals and the lightning rod). 1746-1749 Franklin and his associates begin to experiment with electricity. His demonstration that lightning is electricity spreads his fame to Europe. In 1749, Franklin helps found the Academy of Philadelphia (later the University of Pennsylvania (body, education) University of Pennsylvania - The home of ENIAC and Machiavelli. http://upenn.edu/. Address: Philadelphia, PA, USA. ), and, in 1751, Pennsylvania Hospital. 1754-1757 At a meeting of colonial representatives in Albany, New York For other uses, see Albany. Albany is the capital of the State of New York and the county seat of Albany County. Albany lies 136 miles (219 km) north of New York City, and slightly to the south of the juncture of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. , Franklin calls for a "Plan of Union" to defend northern Colonies against the French, who are about to attack, and their Indian allies. Ahead of its time, the plan is not adopted. In 1757, Franklin moves to London to represent the Pennsylvania Legislature. 1765 The British Parliament's Stamp Act Stamp Act, 1765, revenue law passed by the British Parliament during the ministry of George Grenville. The first direct tax to be levied on the American colonies, it required that all newspapers, pamphlets, legal documents, commercial bills, advertisements, and other places heavy taxes on the Colonies and causes widespread outrage. Over the next nine years, Franklin defends the rights of the Colonies before Parliament and in the court of King George III. He comes to believe that the Colonies must be completely independent from Britain. 1775-1776 As war with Britain approaches, Franklin returns to Philadelphia and is elected to the Second Continental Congress. In 1776, he helps draft the Declaration of Independence. That September, he travels to Paris, seeking aid from France. He remains there throughout the war. 1783-1790 Franklin helps negotiate the Treaty of Paris The Treaty of Paris of 1783 ended the U.S. Revolutionary War and granted the thirteen colonies political independence. A preliminary treaty between Great Britain and the United States was signed in 1782, but the final agreement was not signed until September 3, 1783. (September 3), which formally ends the Revolution. He returns to Philadelphia in 1785, serving as a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Franklin dies on April 17, 1790, at age 84; 20,000 mourners attend his funeral in Philadelphia. Words to Know: apprentice: a young person who learns a trade by working for a master. proverbs: memorable sayings that contain basic truths. QUESTION Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper. 1. What type of business relationship did young Ben have with both his father and his brother James? 2. What two things did Ben do in 1723 to establish his independence? 3. What was Franklin's occupation as a young man? 4. "Fish and visitors smell after three days" is a famous witty saying of Franklin's. Where would it probably have been printed? 5. In which year did Franklin help found Pennsylvania Hospital? 6. What was the Plan of Union? 7. Why did Franklin move to London in 17577 8. What was Franklin's relationship to the American Colonies during his London years, and what did he come to believe about the land of his birth? 9. What did Franklin do during the Revolution? 10. Reread Verb 1. reread - read anew; read again; "He re-read her letters to him" read - interpret something that is written or printed; "read the advertisement"; "Have you read Salman Rushdie?" the quotation about Franklin in the introduction and explain what Turgot meant. Use examples from the time line to illustrate how Franklin did those things. Who were the "tyrants"? Answer Key 1. He was an apprentice to each. 2. He broke his apprenticeship to his brother and ran away, from Boston to Philadelphia. 3. He was a printer. 4. in Poor Richard's Almanack 5. 1751 6. a proposal to defend the northern Colonies against attack by the French and their Indian allies 7. to represent the Pennsylvania Legislature 8. Franklin defended the rights of the Colonies in London, and came to believe that the Colonies should be independent of England. 9. Franklin was in Paris, seeking aid from the French government. 10. Answers may include reference to his experiments with lightning and electricity, his defense of the rights of the Colonies in London, and his efforts to help the cause of the Revolution in any way he could. "Tyrants" refers to the English government, personified by King George III. |
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