Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 (1706-1790)

Dates

• Existence: 1706-1790

Biography

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, MA. He was educated at the Boston Latin School but dropped out at the age of 10 to help his father run the family candle and soap store. He moved to Philadelphia in 1723, and a year later, traveled to London, finding work in a printing press. Franklin published his first text in 1725. He returned to Philadelphia in 1726 and entered a common-law marriage with Deborah Read. Franklin continued to worked in publishing in the States. His success and fame grew throughout the 1730s. The following decade saw Franklin expand into inventing. His first invention, the Franklin stove, was introduced in 1740. Franklin entered politics in 1748, when he joined the Philadelphia’s city council. In 1775, Franklin was elected to the Second Continental Congress. The following year, he helped draft the Declaration of Independence. Shortly after this, he became the United State's first ambassador to France, where he stayed until 1785. In 1787, Franklin was elected to represent Pennsylvania at the Constitutional Convention. Benjamin Franklin died on April 17, 1790, in Philadelphia.

Found in 1 Collection or Record: