To Be Franklin
January 17th is a day that will live in infamy, brilliants such as Girolamo Fracastoro, Thomas Fairfax, and Anne Bronte made their debut to the world on this day. Our subject, also, came to the world on this day also, Benjamin Franklin was allegedly born on January 17th, 1706.
To give a brief outline of his early life, Benjamin Franklin had a boisterous childhood: shared with 11 children, a soap/candle making father and a home-keeping mother. Ben spent short stints in school before being pulled out indefinitely by his father to learn the candle trade himself. Benjamin did not take a liking to this area of work; there being no satisfaction in it for him. It was believed that his father (Josiah Franklin) brought him into this…show more content… Through this apprenticeship he discovered his own love for the written word. Despite the fact that James had no intentions on publishing his brothers’ works, Benjamin was not deterred from writing. Ben learned to work smarter not harder and developed a pen-name: “Ms.Silence Dogood”. Fourteen of Ms. Silence Dogood’s letters were published in James’ paper “The New England Courant”. James Franklin displayed a bout of true rage when Ms.Silence Dogood’s true identity was found out; Benjamin migrated to New York shortly after this. Not being satisfied with the city he decided to settle in Philadelphia instead where he spent most of his life. Upon moving to Philadelphia Benjamin decided to continue his education in the print shop industry. Benjamin lodged and worked with a man named John Read in 1723, in this time he also started up a courtship with John’s daughter Deborah. However, regardless of his love affair the very next year Franklin uprooted and moved to London under the promises of “Pennsylvania Governor William Keith”. Upon reaching London Benjamin found that William Keith’s promises of supporting a newspaper to be meaningless, forcing Benjamin to find work in multiple print shops. Despite the change of course, Benjamin took to London society as a gosling takes