Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin E-Book

Benjamin, "Franklin

• Herausgeber: A to Z Classics
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is the record of Benjamin Franklin's life written by Franklin himself and is one of the most influential examples of an autobiography ever written. Franklin's account of his life is divided into four parts, reflecting the different periods at which he wrote them. Often labeled 'the world’s first self-help book,’ founding father Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography was never published in his lifetime but has since become a classic. It has remained in print for almost two hundred years and shows no sign of losing popularity in the digital age.

Leseprobe

FRANKLIN ARMS

FRANKLIN ARMS

FRANKLIN SEAL

FRANKLIN SEAL

FRONTISPIECE

"He was therefore, feasted and invited to all the court parties. At these he sometimes met the old Duchess of Bourbon, who, being a chess player of about his force, they very generally played together. Happening once to put her king into prize, the Doctor took it. 'Ah,' says she, 'we do not take kings so.' 'We do in America,' said the Doctor."—Thomas Jefferson

A U T O B I O G R A P H Y

OF

B E N J A M I N

F R A N K L I N

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS

by

E. BOYD SMITH,

EDITED

by

FRANK WOODWORTH PINE

CONTENTS

Page

Introduction

vii

The Autobiography

1

I.

Ancestry and Early Life in Boston

3

II.

Beginning Life as a Printer

21

III.

Arrival in Philadelphia

41

IV.

First Visit to Boston

55

V.

Early Friends in Philadelphia

69

VI.

First Visit to London

77

VII.

Beginning Business in Philadelphia

99

VIII.

Business Success and First Public Service

126

IX.

Plan for Attaining Moral Perfection

146

X.

Poor Richard's Almanac and Other Activities

169

XI.

Interest in Public Affairs

188

XII.

Defense of the Province

201

XIII.

Public Services and Duties

217

XIV.

Albany Plan of Union

241

XV.

Quarrels with the Proprietary Governors

246

XVI.

Braddock's Expedition

253

XVII.

Franklin's Defense of the Frontier

274

XVIII.

Scientific Experiments

289

XIX.

Agent of Pennsylvania in London

296

Appendix

Electrical Kite

327

The Way to Wealth

331

The Whistle

336

A Letter to Samuel Mather

340

Bibliography

343

ILLUSTRATIONS

Franklin at the Court of Louis XVI

Frontispiece

"He was therefore, feasted and invited to all the court parties. At these he sometimes met the old Duchess of Bourbon, who, being a chess player of about his force, they very generally played together. Happening once to put her king into prize, the Doctor took it. 'Ah,' says she, 'we do not take kings so.' 'We do in America,' said the Doctor."—Thomas Jefferson

Page

Portrait of Franklin

vii

Pages 1 and 4 of The Pennsylvania Gazette, Number XL, the first number after Franklin took control

xxi

First page of The New England Courant of December 4-11, 1721

33

"I was employed to carry the papers thro' the streets to the customers"

36

"She, standing at the door, saw me, and thought I made, as I certainly did, a most awkward, ridiculous appearance"

48

"I took to working at press"

88

"I see him still at work when I go home from club"

120

Two pages from Poor Richard's Almanac for 1736

171

"I regularly took my turn of duty there as a common soldier"

204

"In the evening, hearing a great noise among them, the commissioners walk'd out to see what was the matter"

224

"Our axes ... were immediately set to work to cut down trees"

278

"We now appeared very wide, and so far from each other in our opinions as to discourage all hope of agreement"

318

"You will find it stream out plentifully from the key on the approach of your knuckle"

328

Father Abraham in his study

330

The end papers show, at the front, the Franklin arms and the Franklin seal; at the back, the medal given by the Boston public schools from the fund left by Franklin for that purpose as provided in the following extract from his will: