"If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing."".
--Benjamin Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin is an extremely influential figure in American history, especially since he played such a diverse character in building his reputation. Franklin was a scientist, and inventor, a statesman, a printer, a philosopher, a musician, and an economist. He lived a very long life, especially for his time, extending from January 17, 1706, to April 17, 1790. During this time, this man accomplished perhaps five times as much as a normal man would be expected to do.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Franklin had an aspiring personality by the time he was 17 years old, when he ran away from his home to Philadelphia. He eventually opened his own printing office in Philadelphia, and became the owner and publisher of the Philadelphia Gazette. He married Deborah Read Rogers in 1730. A few years later, from 1732 to 1758, Franklin published Poor Richard: An Almanack annually. He used this to express his sense of humor. He was a strong believer in the power of the press, and he used it to get his news and opinions out to the people. He also printed cartoons, so that uneducated people could still see his point. .
By 1736, Ben Franklin was gaining popularity with his writings and futuristic ideas for new inventions. In 1736, he founded the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia. This was a major development because before this there was nothing the people could do in time of fires. A year later he was appointed Postmaster for the city of Philadelphia. In 1742 he proposed the University of Pennsylvania. In 1751, his proposal became a reality, and for the first five years he served as its president. This made the pursuit of knowledge more possible for the people there.
In 1747, Franklin started to get really interested in electricity, and his first writings were published.
