Biography of Benjamin Franklin

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New York: P F Collier & Son Company, 1909

In The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin he is writing this letter as a word of advice for his son, William. He took a week vacation to write this book about his life and experiences to give his son an idea as to what to do with his own. Franklin said he enjoyed the life he had lived so far but if given the opportunity he would fix mistakes he had made. He was born in Boston in 1706. He was the fifteenth of seventeen children. He was very successful and a founding father to the Declaration of Independence. Franklin went to school until he was 10 where he studied math and writing. He didn’t care for math but writing was his passion.

Benjamin Franklin had many different jobs. His father took him out of school to come work with him making soap and candles. He did not like this trade but when his brother Josiah saw how much he liked books, reading, and writing Josiah got Benjamin a job with his brother James. He works for his brother for eight years, unpaid as an indentured servant. When his brother is put in jail Benjamin took over the paper until his brother was released; when he broke his contract and quit his job with his brother. His brother made sure he could get a job anywhere in Boston so he leaves home and travels to New York, with no luck he went to Philadelphia to work for a printer, Andrew Bradford. Again, he did not find work but Bradford sent him to another man who helped him find housing where he met his future wife. He is asked to come home and he wrote a letter back home declining. The governor William Keith saw this letter and he was very impressed and wanted to help him set up a print shop; he must receive aid from the government and his father but his father refuses because Benjamin is too young and promises to help him when he is 21. In London he gets a job at a famous printing house named Palmer’s and stays there for a year and leaves to go to a larger shop. He soon gets out of presswork and starts composing articles until he is convinced to come back home. He worked in Keimer’s print shop back home as manager until they try to cut his wages and he quits. Soon the printing shop goes broke and Franklin gets it to use it as his own printing house to make a new newspaper; he even begins to print documents for the government. He soon becomes the Deputy Postmaster and he made sure his paper is sent through the mail.

During the time he lived it notes that women were not deemed worthy of being taught and it was not accepted for girls to be educated. Later, he advocates publicly supporting women to be educated. During this time, Benjamin leaves his family and home behind to live life to the fullest with his friends, having an affair that results in an illegitimate child. After the wars in America and Europe he immediately starts trying to make plans