America has seen many changes in our family structure and society. Different eras have brought about different effects and results on families. This is evident by looking at the best and brightest each era has to offer. Looking at the 'heroes' of an era and what family structure helped to create them can give insight as to what effect an era had on its society. Colonial America was no different. The era was a complicated time when America was attempting to find itself. The family structure was one of hard work and survival. School and education came second to providing for ones family. During Benjamin Franklin’s early childhood, his family experienced some of the same newfound troubles many of these families were experiencing. Growing up his father, brother, and other family members had substantial influence on molding young Benjamin Franklin. As Franklin’s life unfolded, he exceeded in many fields, including science, politics, journalism, and philosophy, while also becoming one of the Founding Fathers of the nation. Thus, it is evident the childhood of Benjamin Franklin had tremendous effects on his future. Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 in Boston. Raised by his father, Josiah Franklin, and his mother, Abiah Folger Franklin, he was cast into a large family consisting of sixteen brothers and sisters. Josiah Franklin had seven children with another women before she passed away and he married Abiah. Due to the popularity of illnesses and diseases in the early American colonies both men and women were familiar with the idea of remarrying following their spouses death. Benjamin was the “youngest son and the youngest of all the children except two daughters.” A large family like the Franklin’s was not uncommon during this time as the average colonial family consisted of approximately nine members with a household typically including extended family as well. The relationship between Benjamin and his father was very important as he made later life decisions. Benjamin reverted to thoughts about his father throughout his whole autobiography. Although Josiah Franklin showed his support of Benjamin’s endeavors initially, this would not continue long. Franklin was so passionate about reading he often sat up in his room reading for the greater part of the night. After discovering Franklin’s abilities in education Josiah placed him in grammar school when he was eight only to remove him less than a year later. Franklin was pulled from his education due to his father’s financial burdens of a large family and could not afford the cost of further education for Franklin. Josiah Franklin was “burdened with a numerous family, was unable without inconvenience to support the experience of a college education.” In Benjamin’s career, he sought out to make education available without the constraints of finances he was burden with in his life. Franklin remembered how hard it was growing up in poverty. During his political career he had a chance to change the availability of education. The statement below from Franklin’s autobiography states how important education was to him:
“Being now a member of both boards of trustees, that for the building and that for the academy, I had great opportunity of negotiating with both, and brought them finally to an agreement… to keep forever open in the building a large hall for occasional preachers according to the original intention, and maintain a free school for the instruction of poor children.”

Franklin understood the positive effects education could have on the citizens of our country. Along with the free schooling he established the Pennsylvania public library. These learning tools would be only two of many more accomplishments Franklin would have during his time with the Junto club. Franklin “created the Junto, a working man’s intellectual club designed for self- and community improvements.” He spent a majority of his time in this club where he with other educated men met to discus and debate points on morals, politics, or natural philosophy. These men would meet engaging in debates and exchange books while thinking of ideas on improving the community. This would give Franklin the idea to make these books he and his fellow members collected available to the public. Franklin reflected on the difficulty of finding books to read during his childhood. He had only his father’s library to pick from and he “often regretted that at a time when I had such a thirst for knowledge, more proper books had not fallen in my way.” Although being a self educated man this was not by choice. Franklin believed in continuing his study throughout his life giving those opportunities in free education he never had and “thus repaired in some degree the loss of the learned education my father once intended for me.” As stated above, Benjamin was forced out of school to help his father in the work field. This action would begin the turning point in their relationship as Benjamin disliked the trading business. Josiah found an alternative and signed over young Benjamin to his brothers control when he was only twelve years old. He was to be James’ apprentience at his new printing shop. Here Franklin found a fancy for poetry and made some small pieces. Copies printed and sold but his father was there to bring down his spirit.
This success flattered my vanity, but my father discouraged me by ridiculing my performances and telling me verse-makers were generally beggars. Thus I escaped being a poet and probably a very bad one. But as prose this writing has been of great use to me in the course of my life and was a principle means of my advancement.

His fathers strong beliefs tried to hold him back from something he admittedly said helped him in life. The strong beliefs of Josiah played a part in helping Benjamin to make further decisions as well. “He turned our attention to what was good, just, and prudent in the conduct of life.” Josiah taught Benjamin to be happy with what he was provided with and to have a good set of values. Josiah had strong beliefs in life as a religious man and he made sure they stuck with his son. Benjamin supplied a good examples of these morals in his autobiography when speaking to a poor woman sweeping in front of his house. After conversation she told him that she was not employed, she just hoped that gentlefolk’s would give her something for doing the work. Benjamin then offered the women a shilling to clean the entire street, in which she completed in three hours. His memory of principles, morals, and hard work passed down from his father gave Benjamin the perspective to help out that poor citizen. Josiah’s actions during Benjamin’s childhood not only affecting his life but the life of other as well. Benjamin states, “my mind with regard to my principles and morals, that you may see how far those influenced the future events of my life.” Morals and values went hand in hand with religion during this time. Franklin’s mentioned his “had early given me religion impression, and brought me through my childhood piously in the dissenting way.” Franklin became a deist and believed in the bettering of all people with emphasis on morality. Throughout his career Franklin was involved in many programs that focused on the improvement of people and life in general. These programs included the invention of the open stove in 1742, construction of a hospital in Philadelphia in 1751, the establishment of a city paving ordinance in 1757, and of course construction of public schools like the present standing University of Philadelphiaamong other great accomplishments. Franklin’s life was geared towards helping others and can be highlighted through the many things he did to service his country using deism and the moral standards he held believing in bettering the people as a whole. Franklin best shows these qualities when he mentioned, “as we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others be any invention of ours, and this we should do freely and generously.” Josiah actions against his son always had a reaction by Benjamin throughout his life. His father was against traveling by water and wanted his son to find a trade close by on land. This made Benjamin begin dreaming about leaving Boston and he formed a hankering for the sea. Benjamin would fulfill his dreams of traveling and rebel against his father when he decided to run away to Philadelphia in hope of a better life. He knew of his father’s disapproval but continued to travel anyway as Benjamin traveled for most of his life. Franklin would even become so in love with the water he began instructing swimming lessons to earn money when times were hard. On the water he learned how to be “the leader among the boys” as he put it. The father/son relationship between Benjamin Franklin and Josiah Franklin can be viewed in different ways regarding the simplistic outcomes of Benjamin’s accomplishments. Franklin’s journey of achievements set in stone his place as one of the Fathers of the Nation. Franklin in a sense became the father to the nation that was to him considered his family. This can also be viewed as him becoming the father that he never had. Hugh J. Dawson explains his interesting theories to the connection between the two and the effects on Franklin’s life in Critical Essays on Benjamin Franklin. Dawson also takes a stab at Franklin’s involvement in negotiating peace with France after the American revolution as he says:
Franklin had been engaged in negotiating the peace, in coming to new terms with the father-king and the parent-country. He explained that the “Affairs of the Revolution occasion’d the Interruption” in his story. They had also brought a change sense of himself. Just as within his family he had become the father-figure in others’ reenactments of his youth, so his public role had been transformed. As much as he abhorred their violence, he had been the conciliatory senior brother in absentia of the Sons of Liberty; now he had become the eldest of the Founding Fathers.

In this statement Hugh describes the transformation in which Franklin had experienced in his own life with relation to his politics. He summarizes how the power now lied with him, being the eldest of the Founding Fathers as he now held the power in his own family having a son of his own. The violence he accoutered being the conciliatory senior brother of the Sons of Liberty reflects his early childhood disputes with his brother. Benjamin’s involvement in negotiating peace with France displays his new opportunity in the world to make peace. Although disagreeing on many issues Benjamin develops into a man very similar to his father. Focused to connecting the father and son they shared many qualities. Benjamin, like his father, had children by multiple women. This was common during the 18th century but is still a common factor they both held. Also both men spent a considerable period of time apart from their children. The time spent apart merges the similar work ethic they held and the time they had to spend providing for their families. Josiah had to work in trade to supply for his family, while Benjamin worked over seas on political issues. Finally both men had a common taste in music and both played the violin. Josiah “was skilled in music…he played Psalm tunes on his violin” and in 1782, as a old man, Benjamin “had also strong, if simple, taste in music; he himself played guitar, harp, and violin.” These men lead very different lives arguing and bumping heads on different issues but in general ended up similar men. Benjamin Franklin had another childhood relationship that influenced his life, the relationship with his brother. When Benjamin was twelve his father signed him over to his brother James. There he was to serve as James’ apprentice in his printing shop until he was twenty one. This would spark a never-ending feud between the two brothers. James took the role of Benjamin’s apprenticeship too far. In many different accounts, notions of hitting Benjamin are found as “Franklin’s older brother, exploiting and sometimes beating the younger apprentice”was common. This feud would be the deciding factor in Benjamin’s final decision to leave Boston. In Benjamin’s autobiography he discussed the altercations in detail. Benjamin explained, my brother was passionate and had often beaten me, which I took extremely amiss. I fancy his harsh and tyrannical treatment of me might be a means of impressing me with that aversion to arbitrary power that has stuck to me through my whole life.
The actions between the two brothers made Benjamin’s determination to be his own man that much stronger. Benjamin had made up his mind that he would travel to Pennsylvania to start his own printing press that was better than his brother’s. He had already been a self educated man but the abuse of power by James made Benjamin look like he was less than a man at all. Benjamin thought James degraded him in the request he made him fulfill. The two brother’s would never got along. Franklin felt his brother acted like his master, degraded him, and thus made him like a slave. During Benjamin’s political life he was opposed to the idea of slavery as “his last act was the signing of an anti-slavery petition to Congress as President of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery.” Franklin’s reflections of his brothers ownership made Benjamin take action to see that no man be owned by another regardless of their race. Franklin was accounted for owning slaves, but he was still opposed to owning them. He mentioned his distaste for slaves in a letter to his mother as he said, “we do not like Negro Servants.” Although owning slaves the northern slave was much different from the traditional southern slave he still was against servitude. Due to the lack of farm land in the north a common slave to Franklin would serve much like a present day maid. Many slaves worked as laborers in factories, maids, and other duties that the owner asked of them to do. Still unacceptable and frowned upon by Franklin by the time of his death he did not own a single slave. Unlike Franklin’s relationship with his father, he would not turn out to be much like his brother. The only similarities they shared was their ownership of a printing shop and their love for writing. Franklin would live his life being kind to others and very successful in his work. On the other hand James was cruel to Franklin and his business did not last or see nearly as much success as his brothers did. Franklin’s mother told him James was hurt and “that he could never forget or forgive.” The two parted ways never to be on good terms again, but Franklin would say the effects of their relationship had stuck with him through his whole life. Benjamin’s other family members also effected his life through childhood experiences. James was known for his physical abuse as mentioned previously but Benjamin’s other siblings also gave him a hard time growing up. Growing up young Benjamin receives jokes and criticism when he bought a whistle that he wanted for much more than it was worth. My brothers and sisters and cousins, understanding the bargain I had made, told me I had given four times as much for it as it was worth; put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest of my money; and laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried with vexation; and the reflection gave me more charging than the whistle gave me pleasure. As a effect of these type of situations throughout Benjamin’s life he later made up a list of thirteen virtues. The seventh virtue, sincerity, relates to the criticism his siblings displayed. “Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.” It was obvious he felt strongly about hurtful remarks like talked about in his childhood and sought out through his life to continue making the world a better place. Franklin’s career shinned in areas of religious principles. Although he respected all religions he was in search for something more effective. His views were effected because he believed “not a single moral principle was inculcated or enforced, their aim seeming to be rather to make us Presbyterians than good citizens.” The church “served principally to divide us and make us unfriendly to one another.” From this he constructed and established as mentioned above his thirteen values. He viewed these necessary to break the bad habits that people did not always pay attention too. These values consisted of:
1.Temperance: Eat not to dulness. Drink not to elevation.
2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation
3. Order: Let all your things have their place. Let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity: Use no harmful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.
11. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Franklin would attempt to lead by example to establish his ideas. Everyday he filled out sheets with the values and the days, marking the days with a check mark if he completed that specific value that day. This exercise would help him “master” the values as he set out to do. With these sheets he also had a diagram of what he was to accomplish that day and questions to give purpose to his day like “the morning question, what good shall I do today?” Franklin had strong values set in as a young age and he mentioned he hoped “that some of my decedents may follow the example and reap the benefit.” The early childhood of Franklin effected his life thus effecting the life of others. For example the establishment of a hospital to account for the needs of sick persons. The creation of a public school to educate the less fortunate who could not afford higher education. The invention of the open stove to better heat the homes of families that were subjected to the cold weather of the north. Whatever he sought out to do he did because that was who he was. Franklin made the world a better place and did so learning from life experiences like the challenges he faced as a boy.
Through his writings and by the example of his life he deeply engrained into the American stream of thought a compulsion toward self-improvement that has exerted a dominant influence on the American attitude…

The life of Franklin consisted of many achievements as he illuminated the age of enlightenment, non of which would have been present without his childhood relationships. Franklin is known for his genius in science and his effectiveness in politics. The key to how he got to be this man was quite a story. The feuding with his father and brother set the stage for Franklin’s strong determination and values throughout his life. Franklin’s family played pivotal roles in pushing him to succeed above all other men and succeeded in doing so. Thus, looking at the life of Benjamin Franklin, it was certain his childhood experiences effected his future. The key relationships that influenced his life was with his father, brother, and other family members. Josiah taught Benjamin about morals, religion, and conduct of life. James pushed him to leave Boston with goals of becoming better than he was in business. His other family members collectively made an impression on him to be generally a better person. Looking at Benjamin’s family and life, the evidence of the key drivers of the era are overwhelmingly evident. A hard working society where education took a back seat to providing for ones family. Benjamin was a successful leader in this country because of the man his family had shaped him to be. Ultimately, all of these factors contributed in effecting the life of Benjamin Franklin and effecting the path of this early nation.

--------------------------------------------
[ 1 ]. R. Walton, “Colonial America” A portion of a book written by R. Walton, http://www.richmondancestry.org/colonial.shtml (accessed April 28, 2011)
[ 2 ]. Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Franklin: Autobiography and other writings, ed. Russel B. Nye (Houghton Mifflin Company: The Riverside Press Cambridge, 1958), 5.
[ 3 ]. “1727: Colonial America,” http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/osl/colonial_america.htm (accessed May 1, 2011)
[ 4 ]. Franklin 10-11.
[ 5 ]. Franklin, 7.
[ 6 ]. Franklin, 7.
[ 7 ]. Franklin, 110.
[ 8 ]. Franklin, 111.
[ 9 ]. Carla mulford 3
[ 10 ]. Franklin, 54.
[ 11 ]. Franklin, 63.
[ 12 ]. Franklin, 10.
[ 13 ]. Franklin, 73.
[ 14 ]. Franklin, 9.
[ 15 ]. Franklin, 11.
[ 16 ]. Franklin, 11.
[ 17 ]. Franklin, 8.
[ 18 ]. Franklin, 117.
[ 19 ]. Franklin, 51.
[ 20 ]. Franklin, 51.
[ 21 ]. Franklin, 51.
[ 22 ]. Franklin, 108.
[ 23 ]. Franklin , 113.
[ 24 ]. Franklin, 116.
[ 25 ]. Franklin, 111
[ 26 ]. Franklin, 108.
[ 27 ]. Franklin, 10.
[ 28 ]. Franklin, 10.
[ 29 ]. Franklin, 18-19.
[ 30 ]. Franklin, 45.
[ 31 ]. Franklin, 7.
[ 32 ]. Melvin H. Buxbaum and Hugh J. Dawson, Critical Essays on Benjamin Franklin (G.K Hall & Co. Boston, Massachusetts: Hugh J. Dawson, 1987), 29.
[ 33 ]. Franklin, 11.
[ 34 ]. David Levin, Benjamin Franklin: Statesman-Philosopher or Materialist?, ed. Wilbur R. Jacobs (Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc., 1972), 55.
[ 35 ]. Franklin, 17.
[ 36 ]. Franklin, 18-19.
[ 37 ]. Franklin, 17.
[ 38 ]. Franklin, 17.
[ 39 ]. Charles Angoff, Benjamin Franklin: Statesman-Philosopher or Materialist?, ed. Wilbur R. Jacobs (Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc., 1972), 71.
[ 40 ]. Benjamin Franklin, Letter to mother Abiah Franklin, April 12, 1750.
[ 41 ]. Franklin, 27
[ 42 ]. Franklin, 17.
[ 43 ]. Carl Van Doren, Benjamin Franklin (The Haddon Craftsmen, 1938), 8.
[ 44 ]. Franklin, 76
[ 45 ]. Franklin, 75
[ 46 ]. Franklin, 74
[ 47 ]. Franklin, 75
[ 48 ]. Franklin, 77.
[ 49 ]. Franklin, 77.
[ 50 ]. Franklin 80.
[ 51 ]. Franklin, 83.
[ 52 ]. Franklin, 113.
[ 53 ]. Franklin, 111.
[ 54 ]. Franklin 108.
[ 55 ]. “1727: Colonial America,” http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/osl/colonial_america.htm (accessed May 1, 2011)