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THEAUTOBIOGRAPHYOFBENJAMINFRANKLIN1THEAUTOBIOGRAPHYOFBENJAMINFRANKLINWITHINTRODUCTIONANDNOTESEDITEDBYCHARLESWELIOTLLDPFCOLLIER&SONCOMPANY,NEWYORK(1909)THEAUTOBIOGRAPHYOFBENJAMINFRANKLIN2INTRODUCTORYNOTEBENJAMINFRANKLINwasborninMilkStreet,Boston,onJanuary6,1706.Hisfather,JosiahFranklin,wasatallowchandlerwhomarriedtwice,andofhisseventeenchildrenBenjaminwastheyoungestson.Hisschoolingendedatten,andattwelvehewasboundapprenticetohisbrotherJames,aprinter,whopublishedtheNewEnglandCourant.Tothisjournalhebecameacontributor,andlaterwasforatimeitsnominaleditor.Butthebrothersquarreled,andBenjaminranaway,goingfirsttoNewYork,andthencetoPhiladelphia,wherehearrivedinOctober,1723.Hesoonobtainedworkasaprinter,butafterafewmonthshewasinducedbyGovernorKeithtogotoLondon,where,findingKeith'spromisesempty,heagainworkedasacompositortillhewasbroughtbacktoPhiladelphiabyamerchantnamedDenman,whogavehimapositioninhisbusiness.OnDenman'sdeathhereturnedtohisformertrade,andshortlysetupaprintinghouseofhisownfromwhichhepublishedThePennsylvaniaGazette,towhichhecontributedmanyessays,andwhichhemadeamediumforagitatingavarietyoflocalreforms.In1732hebegantoissuehisfamousPoorRichard'sAlmanacfortheenrichmentofwhichheborrowedorcomposedthosepithyutterancesofworldlywisdomwhicharethebasisofalargepartofhispopularreputation.In1758,theyearinwhichheceaseswritingfortheAlmanac,heprintedinitFatherAbraham'sSermon,nowregardedasthemostfamouspieceofliteratureproducedinColonialAmerica.MeantimeFranklinwasconcerninghimselfmoreandmorewithpublicaffairs.HesetforthaschemeforanAcademy,whichwastakenuplaterandfinallydevelopedintotheUniversityofPennsylvania;andhefoundedanAmericanPhilosophicalSocietyforthepurposeofenablingscientificmentocommunicatetheirdiscoveriestooneanother.Hehimselfhadalreadybegunhiselectricalresearches,which,withotherscientificinquiries,hecalledonintheintervalsofmoney-makingandpoliticstotheendofhislife.In1748hesoldhisbusinessinordertogetleisureforstudy,havingnowacquiredcomparativewealth;andinafewyearshehadmadediscoveriesthatgavehimareputationwiththelearnedthroughoutEurope.THEAUTOBIOGRAPHYOFBENJAMINFRANKLIN3Inpoliticsheprovedveryablebothasanadministratorandasacontroversialist;buthisrecordasanoffice-holderisstainedbytheusehemadeofhispositiontoadvancehisrelatives.Hismostnotableserviceinhomepoliticswashisreformofthepostalsystem;buthisfameasastatesmanrestschieflyonhisservicesinconnectionwiththerelationsoftheColonieswithGreatBritain,andlaterwithFrance.In1757hewassenttoEnglandtoprotestagainsttheinfluenceofthePennsinthegovernmentofthecolony,andforfiveyearsheremainedthere,strivingtoenlightenthepeopleandtheministryofEnglandastoColonialconditions.OnhisreturntoAmericaheplayedanhonorablepartinthePaxtonaffair,throughwhichhelosthisseatintheAssembly;butin1764hewasagaindespatchedtoEnglandasagentforthecolony,thistimetopetitiontheKingtoresumethegovernmentfromthehandsoftheproprietors.InLondonheactivelyopposedtheproposedStampAct,butlostthecreditforthisandmuchofhispopularitythroughhissecuringforafriendtheofficeofstampagentinAmerica.Evenhiseffectiveworkinhelpingtoobtaintherepealoftheactlefthimstillasuspect;buthecontinuedhiseffortstopresentthecasefortheColoniesasthetroublesthickenedtowardthecrisisoftheRevolution.In1767hecrossedtoFrance,wherehewasreceivedwithhonor;butbeforehisreturnhomein1775helosthispositionaspostmasterthroughhisshareindivulgingtoMassachusettsthefamousletterofHutchinsonandOliver.OnhisarrivalinPhiladelphiahewaschosenamemberoftheContinentalCongressandin1777hewasdespatchedtoFranceascommissionerfortheUnitedStates.Hereheremainedtill1785,thefavoriteofFrenchsociety;andwithsuchsuccessdidheconducttheaffairsofhiscountrythatwhenhefinallyreturnedhereceivedaplaceonlysecondtothatofWashingtonasthechampionofAmericanindependence.HediedonApril17,1790.ThefirstfivechaptersoftheAutobiographywerecomposedinEnglandin1771,continuedin1784-5,andagainin1788,atwhichdatehebroughtitdownto1757.Afteramostextraordinaryseriesofadventures,theoriginalformofthemanuscriptwasfinallyprintedbyMr.JohnBigelow,andisherereproducedinrecognitionofitsvalueasapictureofoneofthemostnotablepersonalitiesofColonialtimes,andofitsTHEAUTOBIOGRAPHYOFBENJAMINFRANKLIN4acknowledgedrankasoneofthegreatautobiographiesoftheworld.THEAUTOBIOGRAPHYOFBENJAMINFRANKLIN5BENJAMINFRANKLINHISAUTOBIOGRAPHY1706-1757TWYFORD,attheBishopofSt.Asaph's,01771.0Thecountry-seatofBishopShipley,thegoodbishop,asDr.Franklinusedtostylehim.--B.DEARSON:Ihaveeverhadpleasureinobtaininganylittleanecdotesofmyancestors.YoumayremembertheinquiriesImadeamongtheremainsofmyrelationswhenyouwerewithmeinEngland,andthejourneyIundertookforthatpurpose.Imaginingitmaybeequallyagreeableto1youtoknowthecircumstancesofmylife,manyofwhichyouareyetunacquaintedwith,andexpectingtheenjoymentofaweek'suninterruptedleisureinmypresentcountryretirement,Isitdowntowritethemforyou.TowhichIhavebesidessomeotherinducements.HavingemergedfromthepovertyandobscurityinwhichIwasbornandbred,toastateofaffluenceandsomedegreeofreputationintheworld,andhavinggonesofarthroughlifewithaconsiderableshare