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Entrance into the World
Benjamin Franklin was born January 17, 1706 in Boston Massachusetts.He was the youngest of his family and was born in a small wooden house. -
Enrolled
Franklin was enrolled in the South Grammar School in September 1714.He learned a bit but had to quit because his father told him to get work. -
End of Formal Education
It was his final formal year of schooling in 1715 and heard the Increase Mather preach.Quit to become an apprentice to his brother because of dad. -
Printing Press
In 1718 he was apprenticed to his brother, James, a printer.He became an avid reader and this is where he developed himself in reading. -
First Letter Published
The first letter of "Silence Dogood" was published in The New
England Courant, followed by 13 others, before Franklin revealed his identity in October of 1722. This was the first of many times that Franklin wrote under a pseudonym.This started his publishing and writing career. -
Run Away
At age 17, Franklin broke his apprenticeship with James and ran away from Boston; he sailed secretly for New York, looking for work with the nearest printer.He basically called James mean and left.If hehadn't run away,his whole life would have probably changed because he became a hardworker and learned many new things. -
Back As A Printer
Franklin arrived in Philadelphia and was employed as a printer in the shop of Samuel Keimer
until March 1724.He worked to live and read many things.He asked to open a buisness to his father ut was rejected. -
London
Franklin found work in London at a famous print house. Franklin enjoyed the intellectual and artistic pleasures of London where he remained until 1726.He was stranded here because the ship that brought him there,left him. -
Opens Buisness
Franklin and a fellow Keimer printer, Hugh Meredith, left Keimer’s shop and opened their own
printing and stationery shop.Eventually Ben owns the whole shop by buying out his partner's side.Here he published many of his writings. -
Marriage
Franklin entered into a common-law marriage with Deborah (Read) Rogers. Deborah Read met Franklin in 1723. -
Son
Francis ("Franky") Folger Franklin was born to Benjamin Franklin and Deborah Read. He was the sun in Ben's day and was very smart. -
Poor Richard's Almanack
Franklin published the first edition of Poor Richard’s Almanack. -
Clerk
Franklin was appointed clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly, a position that he held until 1750. As clerk he gained respect and learned a deal of things through experiences. -
Death of Son
Franklin’s son, Franky, died of smallpox at the age of 4. Franklin had delayed immunizing his sickly son against the disease, and his subsequent regret led him to publicly advocate inoculation -
Sarah
Sarah ("Sally") Franklin was born to Benjamin Franklin and Deborah Read.His only daughter born to him. -
First Experiements with Electricity
Franklin wrote the first of many letters to Peter Collinson in England, describing his first experiments with electricity.These tell us about his experiments and Ben discovered many things that we know today about electricity. -
Published Electric Writing
Franklin’s writings on electricity were published under the title Experiments and Observations on Electricity, made at Philadelphia in America.People learned more about electricicty. -
Sentry-Box
The "sentry-box" experiment, suggested by Franklin to prove that lightning is electrical, was successfully carried out in Marly, France, by M. Dalibard. -
Kite and Key
He experimented with flying a kite in a thunderstorm, and also proved that lightning is electrical in nature. -
"Join or Die"
Franklin designed and printed a cartoon of snake cut into sections, over the heading "Join or Die."This made the message easy to understand and made the colonies form together. -
Albany Plan
n 1754, as Britain and France struggled for control over North America, Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union to unite the British North American colonies. His plan called for the creation of a legislative body that would have the power to control commerce and organize defense in the face of attacks by the French or their Native American allies. The Albany Plan was rejected by both the British Crown and the colonists. -
Agent
On October 1, Franklin was defeated in his campaign for a seat in the Pennsylvania Assembly, and on November 1, he left Philadelphia for London, as the agent of the Pennsylvania Assembly. -
Pennsylvania Assembly
The Pennsylvania Assembly elected Franklin its agent in presenting its grievances to the
Penn family proprietors and the British government. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed in the House of Commons as a means of raising money. The act required colonists who produced certain printed materials to buy British tax stamps to paste on them. Colonists objected to “taxation without representation.”He wrote against it. -
Grandson
Franklin's grandson, Sally's son, Benjamin Franklin ("Benny") Bache was born. -
"Thief"
Franklin was accused of stealing the Hutchinson letters and excoriated and denounced as a thief by Solicitor General Alexander Wedderburn.He didn't agree with the accusings and was riled up. -
Delegate
Franklin was elected a delegate to the Second Continental Congress and served as chairman of the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety. -
King George 3rd
Responding to increasing hostilities in the American colonies, King George III declared that the colonies were in open rebellion against Great Britain. -
Declaration of Independence
The Continental Congress appointed Franklin to the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence on June 1; Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4. -
France Commissioners
The Continental Congress appointed Silas Deane, Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson to serve as Commissioners to France.He helped in the winning over of France to the colonies side. -
Treaty of Amity
Franklin, on behalf of the United States of America, signed the Treaty of Amity with France. In it, France agreed to supply troops, funds, and armaments vital for an American victory against Great Britain. -
Colonies plus France
France went to war against Great Britain when British ships fired upon two French frigates off the coast of England. Louis XVI officially declared war against Britain in support of the American colonies on July 10, 1778. -
Treaty of Paris
John Adams, Franklin, and John Jay signed the Treaty of Paris between Great Britain and the United States. -
Bifocal Glasses
Franklin described his invention of bifocal glasses. Two pairs of lenses were cut horizontally in half and mounted in a new frame, with the reading lens at the bottom and the distance lens at the top.He thought his old glasses were bothering him. -
Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania
Franklin was elected to a three-year term as a member of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, and was elected President of the Council on October 18 -
Constitutional Convention
Franklin served as a delegate to the constitutional convention held in Philadelphia. -
Death
Franklin died quietly at home at age 84.
