Benjamin Franklin dies
On April 17 1790 American statesman printer scientist and writer Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia at age 84.Born in Boston in 1706 Franklin became at 12 years old an apprentice to his half brother James a printer and publisher.He learned the printing trade and in 1723 went to Philadelphia to work after a dispute with his brother.After a sojourn in London he started a printing and publishing press with a friend in 1728.
In 1729 the company won a contract to publish Pennsylvanias paper currency and also began publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette which was regarded as one of the better colonial newspapers.From 1732 to 1757 he wrote and published Poor Richards Almanack an instructive and humorous periodical in which Franklin coined such practical American proverbs as God helps those who help themselves and Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise.As his own wealth and prestige grew Franklin took on greater civic responsibilities in Philadelphia and helped establish the citys first circulating library police force volunteer fire company and an academy that became the University of Pennsylvania.From 1737 to 1753 he was postmaster of Philadelphia and during this time also served as a clerk of the Pennsylvania legislature.
In 1753 he became deputy postmaster general in charge of mail in all the northern colonies.Deeply interested in science and technology he invented the Franklin stove which is still manufactured today and bifocal eyeglasses among other practical inventions.In 1748 he turned his printing business over to his partner so he would have more time for his experiments.The phenomenon of electricity fascinated him and in a dramatic experiment he flew a kite in a thunderstorm to prove that lightning is an electrical discharge.
He later invented the lightning rod.Many terms used in discussing electricity including positive negative battery and conductor were coined by Franklin in his scientific papers.He was the first American scientist to be highly regarded in European scientific circles.Franklin was active in colonial affairs and in 1754 proposed the union of the colonies which was rejected by Britain.
In 1757 he went to London to argue for the right to tax the massive estates of the Penn family in Pennsylvania and in 1764 went again to ask for a new charter for Pennsylvania.He was in England when Parliament passed the Stamp Act a taxation measure to raise revenues for a standing British army in America.His initial failure to actively oppose the controversial act drew wide criticism in the colonies but he soon redeemed himself by stoutly defending American rights before the House of Commons.
With tensions between the American colonies and Britain rising he stayed on in London and served as agent for several colonies.In 1775 he returned to America as the American Revolution approached and was a delegate at the Continental Congress.In 1776 he helped draft the Declaration of Independence and in July signed the final document.Ironically Franklins illegitimate son William Franklin whom Franklin and his wife had raised had at the same time emerged as a leader of the Loyalists.
In 1776 Congress sent Benjamin Franklin one of the embattled United States most prominent statesmen to France as a diplomat.Warmly embraced he succeeded in 1778 in securing two treaties that provided the Americans with significant military and economic aid.In 1781 with French help the British were defeated.
With John Jay and John Adams Franklin then negotiated the Treaty of Paris with Britain which was signed in 1783.In 1785 Franklin returned to the United States.In his last great public service he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and worked hard for the documents ratification.After his death in 1790 Philadelphia gave him the largest funeral the city had ever seen.
