Benjamin Franklin's Contributions to American Civilization Ben Franklin is one of a kind and master of many. No other American, except maybe Thomas Jefferson, has done so many things so well. During Franklin's long and useful life, he was involved in may matters such as statesmanship and soapmaking, book-printing and cabbage-growing, and the rise of tides and the fall of empires. Franklin wrote a prose of great charm and precision, full of irony, even self-depreciation, but his beliefs had proved worthy. From this generous selection of Franklin's writings we see progress from a free-thinking young upstart, to a mellow Deist assured of the benevolence of the Creator and with a lifetime of good works behind him. The transparency and sincerity of Franklin's writing styles would have been embarrassing in a man less good, less great(May 45). Ben Franklin is the individual who invented an efficient heating stove and proved lightning is electricity.
An illustration from Franklin's paper on "Water-sp...
English: US Postage stamp,Benjamin Franklin 250th ...
Benjamin Franklin 1767Born in Boston, Mass., on Jan. 17, 1706, Ben Franklin was the 15th child and youngest son in a family of 17n children. Being one of the youngest children, Franklin's assigned to work with his older brother james. He was basically known as an indentured servant. Franklin writes, "In 1717 my Brother James returned from England with a Press & Letters to set up his Business in Boston. I lik'd it much better than that of my Father, but still had a Hankering for the Sea. To prevent the apprehended Effect of such an Inclination, my Father was impatient to have me bound to my Brother. I stood out sometime, but at last was persuaded and signed the Indentures, when I was yet but 12 Years old. I was to serve as an Apprentice till I was 21 Years of Age...." Aycock 2 Franklin's father was afraid his...