FRANKLIN, BENJAMIN

born Jan.17 [Jan. 6, Old Style], 1706, Boston died April 17, 1790, Philadelphia pseudonym Richard Saunders American printer and publisher, author, inventor and scientist, and diplomat. Franklin, next to George Washington possibly the most famous 18th-century American, by 1757 had made a small fortune, established the Poor Richard of his almanacs (written under his pseudonym) as an oracle on how to get ahead in the world, and become widely known in European scientific circles for his reports of electrical experiments and theories. What is more, he was then just at the beginning of a long career as a politician, in the course of which he would be chief spokesman for the British colonies in their debates with the king's ministers about self-government and would have a hand in the writing of the Declaration of Independence, the securing of financial and military aid from France during the American Revolution, the negotiation of the treaty by which Great Britain recognized its former 13 colonies as a sovereign nation, and the framing of the Constitution, which for more than two centuries has been the fundamental law of the United States of America. And as impressive as Franklin's public service was, it was perhaps less remarkable than his contributions to the comfort and safety of daily life. He invented a stove, still being manufactured, to give more warmth than open fireplaces; the lightning rod and bifocal eyeglasses also were his ideas. Grasping the fact that by united effort a community may have amenities which only the wealthy few can get for themselves, he helped establish institutions people now take for granted: a fire company, a library, an insurance company, an academy, and a hospital. In some cases these foundations were the first of their kind in North America. One might expect universal admiration for a man of such breadth and apparent altruism. Yet Franklin was disliked by some of his contemporaries and has ever since occasionally been attacked as a materialist or a hypocrite. D.H. Lawrence, the English novelist, regarded him as the embodiment of the worst traits of the American character. Max Weber, the German sociologist, made him the exemplar of the Protestant ethic, a state of mind that contributed much, Weber thought, to the less admirable aspects of modern capitalism. Those who admire Franklin believe that his detractors have mistakenly identified him with Poor Richard, a persona of his own creation, or that they have relied too largely upon the incomplete self-portrait of his posthumously published Autobiography. Additional reading The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, ed. by Leonard W. Labaree et al. (1959 ), is the definitive collection. The Writings of Benjamin Franklin, ed. by Albert Henry Smyth, 10 vol. (190507, reprinted 1970), has heretofore been the chief collection. Autobiographical works are The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, ed. by Leonard W. Labaree et al. (1964); and Benjamin Franklin: His Life as He Wrote It, compiled and ed. by Esmond Wright (1989), a new edition, with supplemental autobiographical writings.Full biographies are Carl Van Doren, Benjamin Franklin (1938, reprinted 1991); and Esmond Wright, Franklin of Philadelphia (1986). Other biographical studies include Verner W. Crane, Benjamin Franklin and a Rising People (1954, reissued 1990); Thomas Fleming, The Man Who Dared the Lightning: A New Look at Benjamin Franklin (1971); Claude-Anne Lopez and Eugenia W. Herbert, The Private Franklin: The Man and His Family (1975, reissued 1985); Arthur Bernon Tourtellot, Benjamin Franklin: The Shaping of Genius: The Boston Years (1977), a study of his heritage and youth; and Ronald W. Clark, Benjamin Franklin (1983), a popular biography.An interpretive study is found in Bruce Ingham Granger, Benjamin Franklin, an American Man of Letters, new ed. (1976). Brian M. Barbour (ed.), Benjamin Franklin: A Collection of Critical Essays (1979), emphasizes his roles as writer and shaper of the American national character. J.A. Leo Lemay, The Canon of Benjamin Franklin, 17221776: New Attributions and Reconsiderations (1986), is a scholarly reexamination of Franklin's writings. Ormond Seavey, Becoming Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography and the Life (1988), analyzes Franklin's writings and life. His inventions and scientific thought are examined in I. Bernard Cohen, Benjamin Franklin's Science (1990). Melvin H. Buxbaum, Benjamin Franklin: A Reference Guide, 2 vol. (198388), is an annotated bibliography of writings on Franklin published between 1721 and 1983. Theodore Hornberger The Editors of the Encyclopdia Britannica Major Works: Political and economic A Modest Enquiry into the Nature and Necessity of a Paper Currency (1729); Plain Truth; or Serious Considerations on the Present State of the City of Philadelphia (1747); Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania (1749); Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind (1755); The Way to Wealth (1757); The Interest of Great Britain Considered with Regard to Her Colonies and the Acquisition of Canada and Guadaloupe (1760); Positions to be Examined Concerning National Wealth (1769); Journal of the Negotiations for Peace (1782). Religious, philosophical, and scientific A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain (1725); Articles of Belief and Acts of Religion (1728); Experiments and Observations on Electricity (1751). Other works Poor Richard's (173257), an almanac that has many famous maxims; Franklin's Autobiography (177188); Information to Those Who Would Remove to America (1784).