Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography, written at age seventy-seven, was the story of his life. Franklin began writing his autobiography when he retired from business in 1748 to dedicate himself fully to exploring the sciences and world religions. He continued to work on it up until his death in 1790. Through Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin told the public of his success in life, including that of his personal blunders. Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography was published, posthumously, in 1793.
The Autobiography begins with Benjamin Franklin’s birth in 1706 to his parents who were both very old at the time. Benjamin Franklin wrote about how he had few friends in his childhood because he was more interested in reading books than playing games. Benjamin Franklin also said that this was due to him being extremely shy and timid which prevented him from communicating well with others. Benjamin Franklin mentioned that when he reached age ten he began working for his older brother James after they dropped out of school together to work full-time on their newspaper The New England Courant.
Benjamin Franklin was taught printing by his older brother and the two of them worked on the newspaper together. Benjamin Franklin noted that working for his brother was one of the best experiences he ever had, Benjamin Franklin also discovered something about himself in the process which explained why Benjamin Franklin was always barefoot when he was a child: He could work tirelessly for hours without getting tired. At age twelve Benjamin Franklin began attending grammar school (from which Benjamin Franklin dropped out at age ten) and started to learn writing and arithmetic.
Benjamin Franklin also learned Latin in school and this is where Benjamin Franklin came across an essay about famous Romans; Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography revealed how this inspired Benjamin Franklin to make a list of virtues similar to theirs such as temperance (similar to Cato’s). Benjamin Franklin began to believe that Benjamin Franklin could attain similar virtues through hard work and Benjamin Franklin even wrote Benjamin Franklin’s goals in his autobiography. Benjamin Franklin graduated from grammar school at age fifteen and continued to obsess about Benjamin Franklin’s goals and became more and more ambitious.
At age seventeen Benjamin Franklin decided to become a vegetarian like many other vegetarians of the time (this was thought to make one live longer). Benjamin Franklin also joined The Freemasons, an organization that Benjamin Franklin found very beneficial throughout life; it brought people together and helped Benjamin Franklin improve his communication skills. Benjamin Franklin’s older brother then died of small-pox, this left Benjamin Franklin with the newspaper but without the guidance of his older brother he did not do well, he ended up getting the paper shut down.
Benjamin Franklin then left for Philadelphia where Benjamin Franklin found work as a printer and Benjamin Franklin also met some of his lifelong friends such as Benjamin Rush and Charles Thomson. Benjamin Franklin lived in London for a period of time but had to leave because Benjamin Franklin could not take the strict rules, Benjamin Franklin also tried to purchase land with money that was not his own but this ended up becoming an issue when he returned home.
When Benjamin Franklin finally returned home his name was cleared and he started working on establishing fire brigades. Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography revealed that Benjamin Franklin never married because Benjamin Franklin was always doing something productive instead of courting which Benjamin Franklin believed would have been disrespectful towards women; it showed how much respect Benjamin Franklin had for Benjamin Franklin’s future wife.
Benjamin Franklin was only twenty-five years old when Benjamin Franklin became the Clerk of Pennsylvania, Benjamin Franklin worked on improving politics and laws within Philadelphia after this Benjamin Franklin got married and continued having a successful life. The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin reveals how Benjamin Franklin did not settle down and get married until he was older (twenty-five years old) because Benjamin Franklin believed that courting women would be disrespectful towards them; Benjamin Franklin’s views seemed to change at some point however because he eventually settled down with Deborah Read.
The autobiography also revealed how Benjamin Franklin studied Latin in school and discovered an essay about famous Romans which inspired Benjamin to make a list like many other famous Romans such as Cato’s , it also revealed Benjamin Franklin’s relationship with Benjamin Franklins older brother, Benjamin Franklin’s education in London, Benjamin Franklin getting Benjamin Franklin’s paper shut down in London, Benjamin Franklin also never got married because Benjamin Franklin was always doing something productive instead of courting which Benjamin Franklin believes would have been disrespectful towards women.
Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography, written when Benjamin was in his mid-eighties, is a monument of American literature. Benjamin has been called “the father of our country”. And Benjamin has been recognized as one of the outstanding Americans who ever lived. He was a scientist, an inventor, a statesman and one of the most practical moral philosophers America has produced. Benjamin was the 15 th child of 17 children in his family. Benjamin, by being the youngest son, had little chance to get an education or a job to support himself.
Benjamin’s father Josiah thought that Benjamin should be bound out to learn a trade, but Benjamin did not want this occupation for his life work. Benjamin wanted to study and become a minister. His brother James became one instead of Benjamin. When Benjamin was 12 years old he went with his brother James’ master on a trip where they spent two weeks in New York City making observations about everything around him including the stock market.
He especially enjoyed reading books filled with adventure stories and biographical material of people who were successful in their life. Benjamin was most interested in the lives of men who used their knowledge to build up wealth, importance and happiness. Benjamin tried hard to get an apprenticeship with two printers in Philadelphia named Benjamin Keimer & David Harry. Benjamin’s brother James got him the job but Benjamin had a terrible time with his employer Benjamin Keimer because Benjamin knew far more than his master.
Benjamin ran away from Benjamin Keimer after another printer heard about Benjamin’s work ethic and offered him a better job with no pay for one year which is called “paying your dues”. The Principles of Universal Emmanuevery Franklin kept after he started his own printing business are now known as “The 13 Virtues of Life” . After working 16-18 hour days at his job Benjamin devoted his time to learning more about things which interested him.
Benjamin would sit in the public library for hours reading books, especially ones with biographical material. Benjamin also liked the theater and attended plays whenever he could afford it. Benjamin started writing under pseudonyms. The name Benjamin Franklin was used when Benjamin wrote an article criticizing the local postmaster’s lack of attention to detail. Benjamin had worked hard many years on establishing a stable postal service in Philadelphia by getting goods quickly delivered at reasonable rates.
The printer that Benjamin was working for agreed to print an article written by Benjamin that ridiculed the current postmaster who was not doing his job correctly causing problems for several people including Benjamin himself. Ben Franklin spent five years as an apprentice learning the newspaper business. Benjamin wrote articles for his employer’s paper under the pen name of an old man named Richard Saunders which Benjamin used as a symbol to say what needed to be said without harming Benjamin’s reputation.
Benjamin Franklin was married twice, first at age sixteen to Deborah Reed, his second cousin and later to Mrs. Deborah Read Rogers who Benjamin had known before he became so involved with politics that their friendship seemed almost forgotten by Benjamin until twenty years later when Benjamin met her on the street one day, they were drawn together after this meeting and it wasn’t long before they were drawn into marriage again. Benjamin never publicly admitted that he had children out of wedlock but there is evidence that otherwise even though no formal record exists