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Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

"Early to bed and early to rise make a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

-From Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac
Like his contemporary Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin was an intellectual luminary, inventor, and founding father of democracy in the United States. A prominent figure in not only the American Revolution and the American Enlightenment, Franklin served as one of the first ambassadors to France, and was revered by all on the European continent.

An innovative thinker, Franklin always sought to improve social conditions, especially in his home city of Philadelphia. There he lay the groundwork for the first public library, and the first fire department. He authored many works, most notably Poor Richard's Almanac, reviewed drafts of the Declaration of Independence, and his inventions include bifocal glasses, the lightning rod, the glass harmonica, and the Franklin stove.
Articles:
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Source:
Monkeyshines on America, Nov2002 U.S. Events 1776-1812, p11
Accession Number:
8655712
Lexile:
830
Database(s):
Primary Search, Middle Search Plus, MasterFILE Premier
Ben Franklin's City
Source:
Cobblestone October 2004 Vol. 25 Issue 7 p. 26
Accession Number:
14650676
Lexile:
960
Database(s):
History Reference Center, MAS Ultra, Primary Search
Franklin's Forgotten Triumph: Scientific Testing
Source:
American Heritage, Oct 2004 Vol. 55 Issue 5 p. 65
Accession Number:
14684172
Lexile:
1170
Database(s):
History Reference Center, MAS Ultra, Middle Search Plus
How I became a printer in Philadelphia
Source:
Essential Documents in American History, 1492-Present, p1
Accession Number:
21212746
Lexile:
1350
Database(s):
History Reference Center, Primary Search, Middle Search Plus,
MasterFILE Premier