Benjamin Franklin

                                                                                                         Benjamin Franklin 

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17th 1706. Benjamin had seventeen other siblings. His mother was Abiah Folger and his father was Josiah Franklin. Benjamin at the age of fifteen began writing letters and signing them as Silence Dogood. Everyone loved them. Benjamin later departed his home town and left for Philadelphia. He was hoping to find a job as a writer. Benjamin then left Philadelphia and headed for London. There he marrided a woman named Deborah and had a child named William. In the early 1750's he turned to the study of electricity. His observations, including his kite experiment which verified the nature of electricity and lightning brought Franklin international fame. In 1776 Franklin was elected to the Second Continental Congress and worked on a committee of five that helped to draft the Declaration of Independence. Though much of the writing is Thomas Jefferson's, much of the contribution is Franklin's. Also, for Franklin's popularity, the government of France signed a Treaty of Alliance with the Americans in 1778. Franklin also helped secure loans and persuade the French they were doing the right thing. Franklin was on hand to sign the Treaty of Paris in 1783, after the Americans had won the Revolution. When Franklin was in his late seventies, Franklin returned to America. He became President of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania. He served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and signed the Constitution. Benjamin Franklin died on April 17, 1790 at the age of 84. 20,000 people attended his funeral. His electric personality, however, still lights the world.