Webster dictionary defines a hero as a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities. Benjamin Franklin is an American hero and then some. His achievements have affected various aspects of American history. He took on many roles during his lifetime. He was a publisher and then a civil leader. He then became a scientist and then a public servant and finally a statesman.
Benjamin Franklin only attended school for two years and then his dad decided he could not afford his son's education so he withdrew him from school. Franklin refused to quit learning so he began to read every book that he could and he worked on his own writing style. He also taught himself the basic principles of algebra and geometry, navigation, grammar, logic and the natural and physical sciences. He also mastered or partially learned French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Latin. Benjamin Franklin made himself one of the most educated persons of his time.
An illustration from Franklin's paper on "Water-sp...
Benjamin Franklin 1767
This image was selected as a picture of the week o...He became an apprentice for his brother, who was a printer, at the age of 12. He soon learned all he needed to start his own printing business so he ran away to Philadelphia. He began publishing The Pennsylvania Gazette and he wrote most of the material for the paper himself. His newspaper became one of the most successful news papers in the colonies. He is credited for being the first editor to publish a newspaper cartoon and to illustrate a new story with a map. He took his publishing career to the next step when he wrote Poor Richard's Almanac, whose fame rested solely on its wise and witty sayings. As a publisher, Franklin pretty much laid the ground work for a successful newspaper. Also, with Poor Richard's Almanac, he managed to come up with witty sayings, such as "Early to...