Young Ben Franklin wanted to be a sailor. He wanted to see the world beyond colonial Boston. Instead, he learned the printing trade and became the most famous American of his day. He was the best-known writer, scientist, and inventor in the New World.
Europeans loved Franklin, too. They were impressed by his discoveries—especially his experiments with electricity. They also enjoyed his common sense and humor. They made Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack a worldwide bestseller.
Franklin was the oldest—and many believe the smartest—of the United States’ founders. He was a lawmaker, a diplomat, a statesman, and the postmaster general. He helped write both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He talked the French into taking the American side during the Revolutionary War. He also worked out the peace treaty with Britain. Ben Franklin was quite a man.
