Young Ben Franklin wanted to be a sailor and see the world beyond colonial Boston. Instead, he learned the printing trade and became the most famous American writer, scientist, and inventor of his time.
Europeans admired Franklin, too. They were impressed by his discoveries—particularly his experiments with electricity. They also enjoyed the common sense and humor that Franklin put into his Poor Richard’s Almanack, which became an international bestseller.
Franklin was the oldest—and many believe the wisest—of the United States’ founders. He was a legislator, the postmaster general, a diplomat, and a statesman. He helped write both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, convinced the French to come into the Revolutionary War on the American side, and negotiated peace with Britain. Ben Franklin was quite a man.
