Benjamin Franklin and His Contribution to the American Revolution

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most influential men of the eighteenth century. He was the only man to sign all of these four major documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Constitution of the United States, and the Treaty of Peace with Great Britain. Franklin was an inventor, a philosopher, a writer, a musician, and he actively participated in many congressional articles used by the government of the United States of America. His tombstone, however, simply referred to him as "printer", reflecting his great humility. One of the things he was most influential in was the separation of the American colonies from British rule. In fact, Benjamin Franklin was vital to the success of the American Revolution. So just who was this great man? Born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 17, 1706, Benjamin Franklin was the fifteenth child of seventeen brothers and sisters. His father, Josiah Franklin, was a candle and soap maker. Benjamin attended school for just two years; his father decided that his education was too expensive and after the age of ten, Benjamin helped his father cut wicks and melt tallow for the shop. However, Benjamin practiced self-education by reading all the books he could obtain. In the end, he became one of the most well-educated men of his time, according to Malcolm Eiselin. When American colonists began to vie for freedom in 1775, Benjamin Franklin had many reasons for supporting the revolution. At first, however, he made no comment on which side he supported. In truth, he was waiting to publicize his opinion until he could convert two loyalists who were very dear to him. First was his longtime friend and ally Joseph Galloway. Second was his own son, William Franklin. Benjamin revealed his loathing for England's recent atrocities to his son in private. He despised British rule because of the recent corruption in the system. Walter Isaacson states that William was concerned for his father, but both he and

Cited: Eiselen, Malcolm R. "Benjamin Franklin". The World Book Encyclopedia. 1962 ed. Isaacson, Walter. "Citizen Ben 's 7 Great Virtues". TIME July 7, 2003: 40-45. Isaacson, Walter. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2003. Sparks, Jared. "Spark 's Life of Benjamin Franklin: Chapter IX". 2004. USHistory.org. 8 Nov. 2004. . Sparks, Jared. "Spark 's Life of Benjamin Franklin: Chapter X". 2004. USHistory.org. 9 Nov. 2004. . Thomas, Dana Lee, and Henry Thomas. 50 Great Americans. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc.