The+Founding+Fathers+Benjamin+Franklin

Benamin Franklin ​ E-Period
 * < [[image:benjamin_Franklin.jpg caption="Ben Franklin"]] ||< Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17,1706, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the youngest son and the third youngest child out of 17. His dad was Josiah Franklin and his mother was Abiah Folger. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, and the glass armonica. Franklin also formed the first fire department in Pennsylvania. He was a printer, inventor, and scientist.

|| Franklin was not the first to have the idea of a musical instrument made of glasses. He made an improved version of the armonica. The original version was very complicated; the glasses had to be filled with just the right amount of water and there had to be enough glasses to have a decent range of sounds, which made it pretty much impossible to play by staying in one spot. His armonica's range of sound made three complete octaves. Franklin color coated the glasses to make it easier to play and figure out what notes were which. You only had to tune the armonica once and the tones could be changed by the pressure of your finger.
 * [[image:180px-Glassharmonica.png width="204" height="184" caption="Glass Armonica"]] || **"This instrument is played upon, by sitting before the chord, turning them with the foot, and wetting them now and then with a spunge and clean water. The fingers should first be a little soaked in water and quite free from all greasiness."**

Since he was little he had always wanted to read and he can't remember a time where he was not able to read. Franklin was put in Grammar School, which he was the head of the class. He was taken out of the grammar school and put into a school for writing and arithmetic. He served as an Apprentice till he was 21 years old. From all this experience he was able to help his brother out who was already a printer. Being the apprentice allowed him acces to better books, which were mostly about religion. Reading alot is what brought him to his first experiences as a writer.
 * "From a Child I was fond of Reading, and all the little Money that came into my Hands was ever laid out in Books...This Bookish Inclination at length determin'd my Father to make me a Printer" (20)**

Franklin first tried to find a wife that had land large enough to pay off his debts he owed on his printing house. He soon found out that that the parents of the available girls had nothing to give. He wanted to get married but being a printer which was often thought of as poor, girls, who had many options of who they were going to marry, parents wouldn't want them to marry him and wouldnt give him any money. The only way he thought he was going to find someone, was with someone who had as few options for marriage as he did.
 * "...having turn'd my Thoughts to Marriage, I look'd round me, and meade Overtures of Acquaintance in other Places; but soon found that the Business of a Printer being generally thought a poor one, I was not to expect Money with a Wife unless with such a one, as I should not otherwise think agreable.** (58)

At this time in his life he wanted to live a life and live it without doing anything wrong. Henot only wants to perfect himself, he wants other people to think that he does everything right all the time, which is moral Perfection. The first thing that comes up in his mind he would conquer that, and if a company told him to do something he would do it right. To help him achieve "moral Perfection" he named all the virtures that occured to him or were desierable to him which were, Remperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Chastity, and Humility. ||
 * "It was about this time that I conceiv'd the bold and arduous Project of arriving at moral Perfection. I wish'd to live without committing any Fault at any time; I would conquer all that either Natural Inclination, Custom, or Company might lead me into" (72)**
 * <  ||< __Work Cited__

//Benjamin Franklin: a biography in his own words//. Edited by Thomas Fleming. Newsweek, New York.

York;Newsweek,1972. Print.



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