...ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary"(Gerard Way). Benjamin Franklin was achieved a lot during his life whether or not you label him as a hero or not. We can be sure that he must have done something, either good or bad to have his name marked down in history. This is shown through several different actions. General Washington admits that Benjamin Franklin deserves the most credit for the victory at Yorktown. Franklin helped draft the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He also helped get rid of the stamp act of 1766. In addition, he kept the bankrupt American government functioning by securing more than 40 million in loans and gifts from the French treasury. Franklin’s efforts during the American Revolution should be considered heroic. One reason Benjamin Franklin can be considered a hero is because he was very beneficial in securing a victory for the battle at Yorktown. The passage entitled, “Franklin Charms Paris” states - “ General Washington would have been the first to admit that no one deserved more credit for the victory than Benjamin Franklin” (Thomas 10). This seems amazing, how common is it for the General of a...
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...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...
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...ideas and reason. Many men contributed to this, but a few amongst them are Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Their wisdom and ideas make up the Enlightenment era to which is the backbone of today’s society. The Enlightenment Starting in the mid 1700’s to 1800’s a movement had set in based on rational thought and reason, it was known as the Enlightenment era also known as the Age of Reason. This era created ideas that shaped the political, economic and social institutions in the United States. Men in this era such as Thomas Paine, who was a politician and philosopher, Thomas Jefferson our third president as well as an apostle of agrarian, and Benjamin Franklin, author, scientist, philosopher, and statesman. All these men emphasize the importance of using reason and logic instead of superstition or ignorance. They focus on creating and writing, science, politics and other subjects in this era which influence decades to come (Age of Enlightenment, 2011). In today’s society these ideas have become relevant. Thomas Paine influences the Enlightenment politically and socially, because of his beliefs he was damned by many people in both America and England. Thomas Paine was born in England; he was a corset maker and excise officer in England, although showed interested in philosophy and science. He later in life then met up with Benjamin Franklin in London and soon after he sailed to Philadelphia. He found work in 1775 in the Pennsylvania Magazine writing...
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...Benjamin Franklin David Duron AP Psychology 5th Hour Mr. Compton April 12, 2013 Benjamin Franklin was a very astonishing man who accomplished many things not only for America as a politician and Founding Father, but for all of humanity. Our father of electricity is known and remembered for many things, poet, for being and inventor, a mediator, and probably best known for flying a kite with a key tied on during a lightning storm. Franklin was the son of a Bostonian soap boiler, born on January 17, 1706 the eighth child of ten. His parents were Josiah Franklin, and Abiah Folger Franklin. Abiah franklin was the second wife of Josiah and raised his late wife’s eight, and her own ten children, eighteen total Franklin children. Abiah was born in Nantucket Massachusetts and raised as a Puritan, which had influence on young Benjamin. Not to a lot of other extended information is known about his mother (NSDAR). His father Josiah was born in England in 1657 and migrated to Boston for more religious freedom. Again not too much information is known about his father as well. Josiah had a very influential role in Benjamin’s life. The most noted is that he encouraged all of his children to pursue an honest and worthwhile trade after attaining an education. He was certain that Benjamin was going to be a minister but could only afford two years of schooling (Shmoop). Placed at the Boston Latin School, these two short years made him ten and gave him a heightened need for reading, so...
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...Back in the eighteenth century when slavery uprising happened in America, slavery was a debatable issue. Hence, the opinions toward it were a concern at that time. On July 4th, 1776, The Declaration of Independence was written to declare that the America was a separate country that had its own sovereignty rights. It was also stated that the two most important things that were “all men are created equal”, and they would have certain rights “among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. Slavery was a norm at that time, so the question arisen is how the Founding Fathers - leaders of America thought and took action about slavery. According to the Declaration, slavery is unacceptable. Among the Founding Fathers, George Washington...
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...One Individual can influence the direction of history. Men such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington have all had made a profound impact on the direction of the country. Now, who was the most influential is subjective and hard to quantify, but the fact that each one of these men, at one point in time, changed the course of history cannot be denied. Here are some examples of how they did it. Benjamin Franklin, was one of the founding fathers. Franklin signed the Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution and The Treaty of Paris. The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary war which changed the course of history forever. The power of negotiation was greatly needed for the advancements needed by America...
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...beings age, the opportunity to move up through the social hierarchy seems to disappear. In Gordon S. Wood’s biography, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, he tells a unique story that allows us to take a deeper look into almost every social class of the 18th century. As Franklin makes his way through the social hierarchy, Gordon Wood paints a picture of what society was like and how it works around Franklin. Franklin portrays this hierarchy through his own work and his interactions with other members of society. Also as Franklin moves up the social ladder, Wood gives different perspectives from Franklin on his social standing and how he is a “self-made man”. From being a child of a lower-class family to becoming a huge influence on the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin is one of the most interesting Founding Fathers. Starting with Franklin’s father, who has one of the lowliest jobs as a candle and soap maker, the social hierarchy begins at the bottom and with all of the artisan jobs that fall into that category. Franklin being the 15th of 17 children in the family shows that low class families were very large in size, making it very difficult for the youngest children of the family to gain any property or status. Primogeniture being the custom of the American colonies in the early 18th century makes it difficult for Ben Franklin to advance, putting him at a disadvantage. This disadvantage only helps to spark his desire to pursue knowledge and skill in writing Life long...
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...LIBRARY Study Guide for The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin i Meet Benjamin Franklin Benjamin thought that his older brother James was too hard on him, and they often fought. When his apprenticeship ended, Franklin went to Philadelphia. This city, far more than his birthplace of Boston, became Franklin’s home. In Philadelphia he established his own business and raised his family. After Franklin retired from business in 1748, he embarked on a new career as a civil servant. He served in the Pennsylvania Assembly and became deputy postmaster-general. Sent to England as a representative of the Assembly, he spent five years there. During that time, he made the acquaintance of statesmen and scientists alike. Years later, he returned to England and found himself caught up in the growing tension between the thirteen colonies and the British government. Franklin’s loyalties were divided. He felt affinities to the colonies and to King George II of England. When he could tolerate the British government’s policies toward the American colonies no longer, he sailed back to the colonies. By the time his ship arrived, the first battles of the American Revolution had already been fought. Franklin was chosen to serve on the Second Continental Congress, which, acting as the government for the colonies, declared independence from Britain and appointed George Washington as commander in chief of the American army. Franklin was one of five men selected to draft the Declaration...
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...LIBRARY Study Guide for The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin i Meet Benjamin Franklin Benjamin thought that his older brother James was too hard on him, and they often fought. When his apprenticeship ended, Franklin went to Philadelphia. This city, far more than his birthplace of Boston, became Franklin’s home. In Philadelphia he established his own business and raised his family. After Franklin retired from business in 1748, he embarked on a new career as a civil servant. He served in the Pennsylvania Assembly and became deputy postmaster-general. Sent to England as a representative of the Assembly, he spent five years there. During that time, he made the acquaintance of statesmen and scientists alike. Years later, he returned to England and found himself caught up in the growing tension between the thirteen colonies and the British government. Franklin’s loyalties were divided. He felt affinities to the colonies and to King George II of England. When he could tolerate the British government’s policies toward the American colonies no longer, he sailed back to the colonies. By the time his ship arrived, the first battles of the American Revolution had already been fought. Franklin was chosen to serve on the Second Continental Congress, which, acting as the government for the colonies, declared independence from Britain and appointed George Washington as commander in chief of the American army. Franklin was one of five men selected to draft the Declaration...
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...i Study Guide for The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin T H E G L E N C O E L I T E R A T U R E L I B R A R Y The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Study Guide 9 Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Benjamin thought that his older brother James was too hard on him, and they often fought. When his apprenticeship ended, Franklin went to Philadelphia. This city, far more than his birthplace of Boston, became Franklin’s home. In Philadelphia he established his own business and raised his family. After Franklin retired from business in 1748, he embarked on a new career as a civil servant. He served in the Pennsylvania Assembly and became deputy postmaster-general. Sent to England as a representative of the Assembly, he spent five years there. During that time, he made the acquaintance of statesmen and scientists alike. Years later, he returned to England and found himself caught up in the growing tension between the thirteen colonies and the British government. Franklin’s loyalties were divided. He felt affinities to the colonies and to King George II of England. When he could tolerate the British government’s policies toward the American colonies no longer, he sailed back to the colonies. By the time his ship arrived, the first battles of the American Revolution had already been fought. Franklin was chosen to serve on the Second Continental Congress, which, acting as the government for the colonies, declared independence...
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...4424-M477 Professor Wilson 24 March 2013 2 Leader Profile of Ben Franklin 3 Outline Introduction Benjamin Franklin is a renowned American known for his keen business skills and leadership. Franklin was trained by his older brother James how to run the printing business. Having learned the skill he moved to Philadelphia to become his own man. Thesis Franklin’s success in business and other disciplines are of exceptional interest to the entire world because of his initiative. 1. Background Franklin always wanted to write his own stories after having learned how to read and write at an early age. He wrote compelling letters that made him popular in Boston. His brother James was jealous of the development and often scolded him. He decided to move to Philadelphia where he started his own printing business. 2. Accomplishments and Failures The printer business thrived and grew to an empire while he pursued interests in science. He made significant scientific inventions that made a great significant in the world. He had low moments in his career due to his stance on issues pertaining to justice. 3. Leadership Strengths and Weaknesses He displayed exceptional leadership traits that enabled him to achieve much in his career. He managed to lead people and motivate them to take part in some of his ventures (Northouse 21). 4. Points of View on Benjamin Franklin Franklin’s self discipline is an influential factor in the extraodinary things...
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...University of Phoenix Material Influences on the Constitution Table Write one or two paragraphs in each section. Include citations for your sources. |Documents |Summary |What was its influence on the Constitution? | |Magna Carta |The Magna Carta was a set of laws generated by the barons of |When the thirteen US colonies became independent from Great Britain in 1776, it | | |England and the Archbishop Steven Langton of the Catholic |needed to set a central government to pass laws and enforce the laws. During this | | |Church to limit the powers that King John possessed during the |time many British settlers followed the great Britain law that was put in place by | | |12 century and of any king thereafter. The Magna Carta came |the Magna Carta. In 1789 the United States Constitution was ratified and many of the| | |into law on June 15, 1215 and marked the beginning to a |Magna Carta laws were introduced to the foundation of what is the United States | | |constitutional England where the laws were promised to be good |Constitution. Such laws as that of no man should...
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...University of Phoenix Material Influences on the Constitution Table Write one or two paragraphs in each section. Include citations for your sources. |Documents |Summary |What was its influence on the Constitution? | |Magna Carta |The Magna Carta was signed between the Barons of Medieval England and King John. The |The Magna Carta established the right of due process and provided a basis of higher law that could not | | |Great Charter was signed at Runnymeade near the Windsor Castle and was an attempt by |be altered by executive mandate or legislative acts ("Magna Carta: Cornerstone Of The U.s. | | |the Barons to prohibit the King from abusing his power over the people ("Magna |Constitution", n.d.). | | |Carta", 2000-2012).. | | | |The Magna Carta consists of 63 clauses, many of the clauses address the English legal |Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution. (n.d.). Retrieved from | | |system. It states that every man shall...
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...section number when you submit this assignment. 1. What is the meaning of the term “American Exceptionalism?” The meaning of the term “American Exceptionalism” is that America has had an exceptional track record of stability unknown by other nations. The...
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...States America (Bailyn 26-27). Influenced by those of the European Enlightenment, such as John Locke and Isaac Newton, and fueled by the colonist’s growing frustrations with the English Crown, the literary soil of the New World was a fertile garden. From this newly enriched land sprung both flowers of poetry and the nutritious fruits of the realistic pen that were deeply inspired by the American Enlightenment. The literature of the Enlightenment period was powerful indeed, as it motivated people to think and to take action. Two superlative examples of American Literature and the influences of the Enlightenment Era are Philip Freneau’s poetry and Thomas Paine’s prose. The influence of enlightenment ideas is in the works of both of these important literary figures. Philip Freneau was the poet of the American Revolution (Bowen 213). From Freneau’s naturalistic poetry, such as “The Wild Honeysuckle, we can see the Enlightenment idea that nature is a revelation of God that holds instructions for mankind. “The Wild Honeysuckle" was America's first major poetic account on the themes of life and death. The poem begins by discussing the types of death that a flower might encounter; “No roving foot shall crush thee here, / No busy hand provoke a tear” (Freneau 5-6) Freneau considers nature to be an altruistic being that cares for a flower as a gardener. Even with the best of care from Nature, the flower’s lifespan is not infinite. In Freneau's idealizing poetry, early America may have...
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