Franklin was a man of many talents. He was not only a printer, a publisher, a writer, an inventor, and a scientist, but also one of his country’s greatest leaders.
In 1736, he was appointed clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly, the colony’s governing body. He was elected to Philadelphia’s City Council in 1748. In 1751, he joined the Pennsylvania Assembly as one of the city’s representatives. One of his accomplishments was negotiating a major treaty with Native Americans. Later, he organized the defense of the Pennsylvania frontier and was named colonel of Philadelphia’s militia regiment. In 1754, Ben drew up the first plan to unite the colonies under one government. Although his plan was rejected by the colonial assemblies and by the British crown, it laid the foundation for what was to become the United States of America.
