Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
    Unavailable
    The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
    Unavailable
    The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
    Ebook227 pages3 hours

    The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

    By Benjamin Franklin

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    Listen to the audiobook instead

    About this ebook

    Between 1771 and 1790, American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin sat down to record the important events of his life, from his childhood in Boston to his work as a printer in Philadelphia, to his trips to Paris and his plans for the first public library. The story of the invention of the Franklin stove, the first Poor Richard's Almanac, and his experiments with electricity are all included here. His "Project for Moral Perfection"—a list of desirable virtues and steps to achieve them—influenced the modern self-help genre. Hundreds of years later, Franklin's account of his rise from middle-class obscurity to become a world-renowned scholar and civic figure continues to promote the American Dream. First published in 1791, this unabridged version of Franklin's autobiography is taken from the 1909 copyright edition.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLerner Publishing
    Release dateJan 1, 2016
    ISBN9781512405279
    Author

    Benjamin Franklin

    Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was an American writer, printer, politician, postmaster, scientist, and diplomat. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Franklin found success at a young age as editor and printer of the Pennsylvania Gazette, a prominent Philadelphia newspaper. From 1732 to 1758, Franklin published Poor Richard’s Almanack, a popular yearly pamphlet that earned Franklin much of his wealth. An influential Philadelphian, Franklin founded the Academy and College of Philadelphia, which would become the University of Pennsylvania, in 1751. In addition, Franklin founded the Library Company of Philadelphia, as well as the city’s first fire department. As revolutionary sentiment was on the rise in the thirteen colonies, Franklin traveled to London to advocate on behalf of Americans unhappy with British rule, earning a reputation as a skilled diplomat and shrewd negotiator. During the American Revolution, his relationships with French officials would prove essential for the war effort, the success of which depended upon munitions shipments from France. Over the next few decades, he would serve as the first postmaster general of the United States and as governor of Pennsylvania while maintaining his diplomatic duties. A dedicated and innovative scientist, Franklin is credited with important discoveries regarding the nature of electricity, as well as with inventing the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove. A slaveowner for many years, Franklin eventually became an abolitionist. Although he failed to raise the issue during the 1787 Constitutional Convention, he led the Pennsylvania Abolitionist Society and wrote essays on the subject of slavery, which he deemed “an atrocious debasement of human nature.”

    Read more from Benjamin Franklin

    Related to The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

    Titles in the series (100)

    View More
    View More

    Related ebooks

    Personal Memoirs For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Interview Nathaniel Philbrick History Ashore and Afloat

      Jan 1, 2019

      Nathaniel Philbrick is the celebrated author of several nonfiction books about the American experience, notably military and maritime history. A number of his books have been New York Times best sellers, including In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy

      4 min read

    • Article

      A Half a Dozen Battles

      Oct 10, 2017

      A Half a Dozen Battles
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Man Behind The National Anthem Paid Little Attention To It

      Jul 4, 2017

      Francis Scott Key is most famous for writing the "Star Spangled Banner." But after he penned the now-famous lyrics, he hardly mentioned them.

      4 min read

    • Article

      Renaissance Prince

      Apr 29, 2021

      PHYSICIST, PHYSICIAN, LINGUIST, ENGINEER, and — besides much else — life insurance actuary, Thomas Young (1773-1829) has been called “the last man who knew everything”. At the bicentenary of his birth, the Science Museum suggested Young “probably had

      3 min read

    • Article

      Lincoln in His Own Words

      May 16, 2023

      Lincoln in His Own Words
      3 min read

    • Article

      How Jefferson’s ‘Pursuit Of Happiness’ Phrase Came To Be

      Jul 13, 2023

      From the time they are schoolchildren, Americans learn what happened after Thomas Jefferson asserted a right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 177

      3 min read

    • Article

      Escaping Samuel Johnson

      May 30, 2019

      Escaping Samuel Johnson
      9 min read

    • Article

      A New Side of Lincoln

      Sep 21, 2021

      Abraham Lincoln is, justifiably, considered the greatest orator among all American presidents. But while his speeches are well-known, Lincoln’s lifelong habit of scribbling notes for his eyes only is less celebrated. Although many of these private no

      6 min read

    • Article

      As A Family Line

      May 12, 2023

      As A Family Line
      7 min read

    • Article

      ‘Call yourself English?’

      Aug 21, 2019

      ‘Call yourself English?’
      19 min read

    • Article

      Editor's Note

      Nov 1, 2020

      Editor's Note
      2 min read

    • Article

      Finding a Place in Oral History

      Feb 2, 2023

      With my first book, Heavy, I wanted to capture Rock Springs, the Wyoming boomtown where I grew up, in all of its grit and glory. Not long after Heavy came out, however, I began to feel like I’d only scratched the surface of the place. The realization

      6 min read

    • Article

      Mystery Hunt

      Nov 17, 2020

      Mystery Hunt
      5 min read

    • Article

      Samuel Johnson’s Defining Moments

      Feb 17, 2022

      Samuel Johnson was a published author, poet, essayist and biographer by the 1740s, but his career had not taken off or made him money. Certainly the reputation he holds today as a central literary figure of the 18th century, famed for his control of

      3 min read

    Reviews for The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

    4/5

    8 ratings4 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      An interesting autobiography of an interesting man, though he did seem kind of arrogant.
    • 3/5
      Was fun to read what Franklin had to say not only about himself but about his beliefs and society as well; essential reading for any serious history student/buff
    • 4/5
      This autobiography is written as a letter, once interrupted for a decade or more, to his son. As many people have pointed out during history, the author is inclined to only include the facts they want and from their point of view. A self-congratulatory tome, Benjamin Franklin has much for to be proud of himself. I enjoy his writing style and found this book to be interesting.
    • 5/5
      I personally think that this was one of the best books that I have ever read. I do not think that everyone will agree with me but I love Benjamin Franklin. He is by far my favorite character from the American Revolution! This was my second time reading this book and it was much better the second time. I think that it had a lot to do with me being older and being able to relate to the things that Mr.Franklin talks about such as virtue, temperance and other things along those lines that you really just do not start to understand until you have a few years under your belt lol. This edition was also really cool because it is not only the autobiography but also other selected writings from Ben Franklin. Some of these letters and other short writings were really good and only serve to help the reader get a better understanding of some of the points that Franklin was getting at in his autobiography. I would recommend this book to anyone with a appreciation for history!