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How Did Benjamin Franklin Influence The Declaration Of Independence

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Benjamin Franklin is best known as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States due to his work on the Declaration of Independence. He was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston in what was then known as Massachusetts Bay Colony. His father was a candle maker and a caretaker to his 17 children. Benjamin was his 15th child and the last of his sons. He was removed from school at a young age because his father insisted he work at his factory, making candles. Young Franklin had many jobs, mainly working as an apprentice newspaper boy after quitting his occupation as a candle maker. He was famous for his discoveries with electricity. Benjamin visited many places such as France and developed a good relationship with the French. Finally he decided to settle in Philadelphia in 1723. …show more content…
He started working actively towards Independence. He assumed his son William, now the governor of New Jersey, would agree with his views, but much to his dismay, father and son disagreed. William remained a proud Loyalist. This caused a rift between them which was never resolved. Franklin was elected to the Second Continental Congress and worked on a committee of five that helped to create the Declaration of Independence. Although it was written by Thomas Jefferson, much of Franklin’s ideas were infused into the document. He signed the Declaration, and afterward sailed to France, to server as an ambassador to the Court of Louis XVI. He was popular with the French and signed the Treaty of Paris in 1778, shortly before the victory of the Americans. He assured the French that they were making the right decision by allying with the Patriots. In his late seventies, he decided to return to America. He passed away on April 17, 1790, with 20,000 people attending his funeral. Although he is no longer living, his electric personality still continues to light the

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