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Benjamin Franklin (SparkNotes Biography Guide)
by SparkNotesBenjamin Franklin (SparkNotes Biography Guide) Making the reading experience fun! SparkNotes Biography Guides examine the lives of historical luminaries, from Alexander the Great to Virginia Woolf. Each biography guide includes:An examination of the historical context in which the person lived A summary of the person&’s life and achievements A glossary of important terms, people, and events An in-depth look at the key epochs in the person&’s career Study questions and essay topics A review test Suggestions for further reading Whether you&’re a student of history or just a student cramming for a history exam, SparkNotes Biography guides are a reliable, thorough, and readable resource.
Benjamin Franklin and His Enemies
by Robert MiddlekauffMiddlekauff (history, UC-Berkeley) explores Franklin's darker side, his passionate anger and his adversarial relationships with the Penns, John Adams, and Arthur Lee, and his disappointment in his son's loyalty to Britain, weaving episodes in Franklin's life into colonial and Revolutionary history. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.
Benjamin Franklin and a Case of Christmas Murder
by Robert Lee Hall[from the back cover:] "London's most inventive sleuth since Sherlock Holmes! Tis the season to be jolly, to deck the halls with boughs of holly. But for prosperous London merchant Roderick Fairbrass, who's entertaining at his home on Christmas night, 'tis the season of despair... when he suddenly collapses and dies. And at least one of the guests, Benjamin Franklin, suspects there's more than meets the eye behind his genial host's sudden demise. Using his inventive powers of detection, Franklin sets out to discover the truth. Before he's done, he will not only confront the ghost that inhabits the Fairbrass house, but come face to face with some of London's most sinister scoundrels... and unravel a tangled plot of intrigue, extortion and scandal."
Benjamin Franklin in London: The British Life of America's Founding Father
by George Goodwin'Sensitive, moving and finely textured' Guardian'Fantastic' Dan SnowFor the great majority of his long life, Benjamin Franklin was a loyal British royalist. In 1757, having made his fortune in Philadelphia and established his fame as a renowned experimental scientist, he crossed the Atlantic to live as a gentleman in the heaving metropolis of London. With just a brief interlude, a house in Craven Street was to be his home until 1775. From there he mixed with both the brilliant and the powerful, whether in London coffee house clubs, at the Royal Society, or on his summer travels around the British Isles and continental Europe. He counted David Hume, Matthew Boulton, Joseph Priestley, Edmund Burke and Erasmus Darwin among his friends, and as an American colonial representative he had access to successive Prime Ministers and even the King.The early 1760s saw Britain's elevation to global superpower status with victory in the Seven Years War and the succession of the young, active George III. These two events brought a sharp new edge to political competition in London and redefined the relationship between Britain and its colonies. Though Franklin long sought to prevent the break with Great Britain, his own actions would finally help cause that very event. On the eve of the American War of Independence, Franklin fled arrest and escaped by sea. He would never return to London. With his unique focus on the fullness of Benjamin Franklin's life in London, George Goodwin has created an enthralling portrait of the man, the city and the age.
Benjamin Franklin in London: The British Life of America's Founding Father (The Lewis Walpole Series in Eighteenth-Century Culture and History)
by George GoodwinAn “enthralling” chronicle of the nearly two decades the statesman, scientist, inventor, and Founding Father spent in the British imperial capital (BBC Radio 4, Book of the Week).For more than a fifth of his life, Benjamin Franklin lived in London. He dined with prime ministers, members of parliament, even kings, as well as with Britain’s most esteemed intellectuals—including David Hume, Joseph Priestley, and Erasmus Darwin—and with more notorious individuals, such as Francis Dashwood and James Boswell. Having spent eighteen formative months in England as a young man, Franklin returned in 1757 as a colonial representative during the Seven Years’ War, and left abruptly just prior to the outbreak of America’s War of Independence, barely escaping his impending arrest.In this fascinating history, George Goodwin gives a colorful account of Franklin’s British years. The author offers a rich and revealing portrait of one of the most remarkable figures in U.S. history, effectively disputing the commonly held perception of Franklin as an outsider in British politics. It is an absorbing study of an American patriot who was a fiercely loyal British citizen for most of his life—until forces he had sought and failed to control finally made him a reluctant revolutionary at the age of sixty-nine.“[An] interesting, lively account of Franklin’s British life.” —The Wall Street Journal
Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography
by Benjamin Franklin Joyce E. ChaplinChaplin (early American history, Harvard U. ) presents an edition of Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography that includes an introduction that explains the history of the autobiography within the larger history of the genre and the history of celebrity, new and expanded explanatory annotations, three maps, a guide to people mentioned in the text, and illustrations. It also presents the recently identified "Wagon Letters"; a "contexts" section that includes his journal entries from a 1726 voyage, pieces of correspondence, excerpts from writings on ambition, fame, and wealth, his views on self-improvement, and his last will; and a criticism section containing both contemporary, nineteenth-century, and recent opinions on Franklin, from Immanuel Kant to Edgar Allan Poe to D. H. Lawrence. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc , Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Benjamin Franklin's Bastard: A Novel
by Sally CabotAn absorbing work of literary historical fiction that brings to life a little-known chapter of the American Revolution from the author of The Widow’s War.William Franklin, the son of Benjamin and his favorite mistress, Anne, is raised by Deborah, Benjamin’s wife. A steadfast loyalist, he and his father cannot reconcile their wildly disparate views, causing a rift in the bond both thought unbreakable.Fascinating and heartbreaking, Benjamin Franklin’s Bastard is a gripping tale of family, love, and war, set against one of America’s most fascinating periods of history.“This is a superb novel. Don’t miss it.” —William Martin, New York Times–bestselling author“Cabot laces her assured novel with Shakespearean overtones as the characters continually misconstrue one another’s motives. From Franklin’s intense intellectual curiosity to Anne’s stubborn insistence on leading an independent life, this memorable cast makes for spellbinding reading.” —Booklist“For all Franklin’s genius, fortune, and increasing stature, he is not spared the trials of women, concerns for children, or the struggles between a father and son with political differences . . . [Cabot is] a gifted writer.” —The Providence Journal“[A] poignant tale of love, survival, loyalty, and the meaning of family.” —RT Book Reviews“An enticing read for history buffs . . . genuinely heart-wrenching.” —Publishers Weekly
Benjamin Franklin's Last Bet: The Favorite Founder's Divisive Death, Enduring Afterlife, and Blueprint for American Prosperity
by Michael MeyerThe incredible story of Benjamin Franklin’s parting gift to the working-class people of Boston and Philadelphia—a deathbed wager that captures the Founder’s American Dream and his lessons for our current, conflicted age. Benjamin Franklin was not a gambling man. But at the end of his illustrious life, the Founder allowed himself a final wager on the survival of the United States: a gift of two thousand pounds to Boston and Philadelphia, to be lent out to tradesmen over the next two centuries to jump-start their careers. Each loan would be repaid with interest over ten years. If all went according to Franklin’s inventive scheme, the accrued final payout in 1991 would be a windfall. In Benjamin Franklin’s Last Bet, Michael Meyer traces the evolution of these twin funds as they age alongside America itself, bankrolling woodworkers and silversmiths, trade schools and space races. Over time, Franklin’s wager was misused, neglected, and contested—but never wholly extinguished. With charm and inquisitive flair, Meyer shows how Franklin’s stake in the “leather-apron” class remains in play to this day, and offers an inspiring blueprint for prosperity in our modern era of growing wealth disparity and social divisions.
Benjamin Franklin's Numbers: An Unsung Mathematical Odyssey
by Paul C. PaslesFew American lives have been as celebrated--or as closely scrutinized--as that of Benjamin Franklin. Yet until now Franklin's biographers have downplayed his interest in mathematics, at best portraying it as the idle musings of a brilliant and ever-restless mind. In Benjamin Franklin's Numbers, Paul Pasles reveals a side of the iconic statesman, scientist, and writer that few Americans know--his mathematical side. In fact, Franklin indulged in many areas of mathematics, including number theory, geometry, statistics, and economics. In this generously illustrated book, Pasles gives us the first mathematical biography of Benjamin Franklin. He draws upon previously unknown sources to illustrate Franklin's genius for numbers as never before. Magic squares and circles were a lifelong fascination of Franklin's. Here, for the first time, Pasles gathers every one of these marvelous creations together in one place. He explains the mathematics behind them and Franklin's hugely popular Poor Richard's Almanac, which featured such things as population estimates and a host of mathematical digressions. Pasles even includes optional math problems that challenge readers to match wits with the bespectacled Founding Father himself. Written for a general audience, this book assumes no technical skills beyond basic arithmetic. Benjamin Franklin's Numbers is a delightful blend of biography, history, and popular mathematics. If you think you already know Franklin's story, this entertaining and richly detailed book will make you think again.
Benjamin Franklin's Science
by I. Bernard CohenBenjamin Franklin is well known to most of us, yet his fundamental and wide-ranging contributions to science are still not adequately understood. Until now he has usually been incorrectly regarded as a practical inventor and tinkerer rather than a scientific thinker. He was elected to membership in the elite Royal Society because his experiments and original theory of electricity had made a science of that new subject. His popular fame came from his two lightning experimentsâe"the sentry-box experiment and the later and more famous experiment of the kiteâe"which confirmed his theoretical speculations about the identity of electricity and provided a basis for the practical invention of the lightning rod. Franklin advanced the eighteenth-century understanding of all phenomena of electricity and provided a model for experimental science in general. I. Bernard Cohen, an eminent historian of science and the principal elucidator of Franklinâe(tm)s scientific work, examines his activities in fields ranging from heat to astronomy. He provides masterful accounts of the theoretical background of Franklinâe(tm)s science (especially his study of Newton), the experiments he performed, and their influence throughout Europe as well as the United States. Cohen emphasizes that Franklinâe(tm)s political and diplomatic career cannot be understood apart from his scientific activities, which established his reputation and brought him into contact with leaders of British and European society. A supplement by Samuel J. Edgerton considers Franklinâe(tm)s attempts to improve the design of heating stoves, another practical application that arose from theoretical interests. This volume will be valuable to all readers wanting to learn more about Franklin and to gain a deeper appreciation of the development of science in America.
Benjamin Franklin, American Genius: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities (For Kids series)
by Brandon Marie MillerCapturing the essence of this exceptional individual through his original writings and hands-on activities from his era, this resource tells the rich story of one of America's most celebrated Founding Fathers. Beginning with his time as a young printer, this engaging narrative details how Benjamin Franklin became a celebrity with the publication of Poor Richard: An Almanack and how he founded the colonies' first lending library, volunteer fire company, and postal service. Additionally, his life in science is also highlighted, from his 1751 book Experiments and Observations on Electricity to his proof a year later that lightning was an electrical discharge. Activities range from designing and printing an almanac cover and playing a simple glass armonica (a Franklin invention) to experimenting with static electricity and building a barometer. The text also features a time line, glossary, Web and travel resources, and reading list for further study.
Benjamin Franklin: A Man of Many Talents
by Editors of TIME FOR KIDS Kathryn Hoffman SatterfieldA brief biography highlights some of the achievements of one of the most famous men from the early years of the United States.
Benjamin Franklin: A nonfiction companion to Magic Tree House #32: To the Future, Ben Franklin! (Magic Tree House (R) Fact Tracker #41)
by Mary Pope Osborne Natalie Pope BoyceTrack the facts about the great printer, inventor, and Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin!When Jack and Annie came back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #32: To the Future, Ben Franklin! they had lots of questions. What was Ben Franklin's first job? How did a kite teach him about electricity? What are some of Ben's most famous inventions? Why did he have so many nicknames? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts about Benjamin Franklin.Filled with up-to-date information, photographs, illustrations, and fun tidbits from Jack and Annie, the Fact Trackers are the perfect way for kids to find out more about the topics they discover in their favorite Magic Tree House adventures.Did you know that there's a Magic Tree House book for every kid?Magic Tree House: Adventures with Jack and Annie, perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter booksMerlin Missions: More challenging adventures for the experienced readerFact Trackers: Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventures
Benjamin Franklin: American Founder, Atlantic Citizen (Routledge Historical Americans)
by Nathan R. KozuskanichKnown for his influential role in the debates that established the founding documents of the United States, Benjamin Franklin was not only an astute politician, but also an Atlantic citizen whose commitment to the American cause was informed by years spent in England and France. The life of this iconic founder provides an ideal opportunity for students to take a closer look at eighteenth century colonial society and the contested formation of the early American nation. In this carefully contextualized account, Nathan R. Kozuskanich considers the many facets of Franklin’s private and public lives, and shows how Franklin grappled with issues that still concern us today: the right to bear arms, the legacy of slavery, and the nature of American democracy. In a concise narrative bolstered by supporting primary documents, Benjamin Franklin: American Founder, Atlantic Citizen introduces students to the world of the burgeoning United States and enables them to understand the journey from imperial colonies to an independent nation dedicated to the premise that all men are created equal.
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
by Walter IsaacsonIn this authoritative and engrossing full-scale biography, Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Einstein and Steve Jobs, shows how the most fascinating of America's founders helped define our national character.Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us, the one who seems made of flesh rather than marble. In a sweeping narrative that follows Franklin’s life from Boston to Philadelphia to London and Paris and back, Walter Isaacson chronicles the adventures of the runaway apprentice who became, over the course of his eighty-four-year life, America’s best writer, inventor, media baron, scientist, diplomat, and business strategist, as well as one of its most practical and ingenious political leaders. He explores the wit behind Poor Richard’s Almanac and the wisdom behind the Declaration of Independence, the new nation’s alliance with France, the treaty that ended the Revolution, and the compromises that created a near-perfect Constitution.In this colorful and intimate narrative, Isaacson provides the full sweep of Franklin’s amazing life, showing how he helped to forge the American national identity and why he has a particular resonance in the twenty-first century.
Benjamin Franklin: Benjamin Franklin (10 Days)
by David ColbertBestselling author David Colbert examines the life of Benjamin Franklin by looking at the ten most important days of his life—days that changed the world.You're about to be an eyewitness to the top ten days in Ben Franklin's life, including: -A cunning escape from a cruel brother. -A shrewd plan to save the colonies. -A treacherous spy game in Paris. -A shocking battle with a vengeful aristocrat. -And a last-minute triumph that bound American together. These days and five others shook Franklin's world—and yours.
Benjamin Franklin: The Man Behind the Lightning Rod (Little Inventor)
by Nancy DickmannWhy is Benjamin Franklin important? He invented the lightning rod and much more! Readers follow the journey of this inventor and founding father. Franklin created the lightning rod and other inventions that helped change the world. It's an electrifying story filled with engaging text and colorful images, all reviewed by Smithsonian experts.
Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father
by Thomas S. KiddA major new biography, illuminating the great mystery of Benjamin Franklin’s faith Renowned as a printer, scientist, and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin also published more works on religious topics than any other eighteenth-century American layperson. Born to Boston Puritans, by his teenage years Franklin had abandoned the exclusive Christian faith of his family and embraced deism. But Franklin, as a man of faith, was far more complex than the “thorough deist” who emerges in his autobiography. As Thomas Kidd reveals, deist writers influenced Franklin’s beliefs, to be sure, but devout Christians in his life—including George Whitefield, the era’s greatest evangelical preacher; his parents; and his beloved sister Jane—kept him tethered to the Calvinist creed of his Puritan upbringing. Based on rigorous research into Franklin’s voluminous correspondence, essays, and almanacs, this fresh assessment of a well-known figure unpacks the contradictions and conundrums faith presented in Franklin’s life.
Benjamin Franklin: Young Printer (Childhood of Famous Americans Series)
by Augusta StevensonA fictionalized biography of the young Philadelphia printer who grew up to become a world-renowned author, diplomat, scientist, and inventor, and one of the founding fathers of the United States.
Benjamin Harrison (The American Presidents Series)
by Charles W. CalhounPolitics was in Benjamin Harrison's blood. His great-grandfather signed the Declaration and his grandfather, William Henry Harrison, was the ninth president of the United States. Harrison, a leading Indiana lawyer, became a Republican Party champion.
Benjamin Harrison: The 23rd President
by DKTour through Benjamin Harrison’s house and discover the life and legacy of the 23rd US PresidentTake a trip to Indianapolis and peek into a president’s parlor for a house tour like no other.After introducing the neighborhood, we will guide you around the historic home of the 23rd President of the US and look at some of the 10,000 objects on display – each one revealing a story about the man and his family.From being a Civil War general who led from the front with a cry of “Come on, boys!” to chasing his grandchildren’s pet goat down the road outside the White House, there is much to learn about Benjamin Harrison.See how Harrison’s Front Porch Campaign was conducted – before there was a porch!Find out how he championed African-American rights and was ahead of his time with conservation policies.Learn about his involvement with the longest US jury trial of the 19th century.Discover what a rattle, a ribbon, and an axe have in common.*Harrison was first and foremost a family man. This tour takes you into the private quarters, including bedrooms and sitting rooms. You can check out wife Caroline’s art, her plans for the White House, and her involvement with the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). Admire daughter Mary’s ostrich-feather cape, which she wore when presented to English royalty, and see daughter Elizabeth grow from the cute, curly-haired little girl to a glamourous 1920s woman. From family photos right down to the burn-mark from an iron on the pantry shelves, this book gets inside the family home and reveals all.The tour finishes with the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site today – the research library, the promenade and grounds – and leaves you with a real sense of the Harrison legacy. Complete with a biography, timeline, and quotations, this book is a fascinating introduction to the man and his mansion.*For the answer, see pages 26–27!
Benjamin Harrison: Twenty-third President Of The United States
by Rita StevensA biography focusing on the military and political career of the only grandson of a president to become president himself.
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.: American
by Benjamin O. DavisSet against the backdrop of twentieth-century America, against the social fabric of segregation and the broad canvas of foreign war, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.: American tells a compelling story of personal achievement against formidable odds. Born into an era when potential was measured according to race, Davis was determined to be judged by his character and deeds--to succeed as an American, and not to fail because of color. With twelve million citizens --the black population of the United States--pulling for him, Davis entered West Point in 1932, resolved to become an officer even though official military directives stated that blacks were decidedly inferior, lacking in courage, superstitious, and dominated by moral and character weaknesses. "Silenced" by his peers, for four years spoken to only in the line of duty, David did not falter. He graduated 35th in a class of 276 and requested assignment to the Army Air Corps, then closed to blacks. He went on to lead the 99th Pursuit Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group--units known today as the Tuskegee Airmen--into air combat over North Africa and Italy during World War II. His performance, and that of his men, enabled the Air Force to integrate years before civilian society confronted segregation. Thereafter, in a distinguished career in the Far East, Europe, and the United States, Davis commanded both black and white units. Davis's story is interwoven with often painful accounts of the discrimination he and his wife, Agatha, endured as a fact of American military and civilian life. Traveling across the country, unable to find food and lodging, they were often forced to make their way nonstop. Once on base, they were denied use of clubs and, in the early days, were never allowed to attend social activities. Though on-base problems were solved by President Truman's integration of the military in 1949, conditions in the civilian community continued, eased but not erased by enactment of President Johnson's legislative program in the 1960s. Overseas, however, where relations were unfettered by racism, the Davises enjoyed numerous friendships within the military and with such foreign dignitaries as President and Madame Chiang Kai-shek. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., retired in 1970 as a three-star general. His autobiography, capturing the fortitude and spirit with which he and his wife met the pettiness of segregation, bears out Davis's conviction that discrimination--both within the military and in American society--reflects neither this nation's ideals nor the best use of its human resources.
Benjamin V. Cohen: Architect of the New Deal
by William LasserThis is a biography of Benjamin V. Cohen focusing on the "New Deal" giant.
Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin
by Marguerite HenryNewbery Award–winning author Marguerite Henry&’s beloved novel about a boy who would do anything to paint is now available in a collectible hardcover gift edition.Benjamin West was born with an extraordinary gift—the gift of creating paintings of people, animals, and landscapes so true to life they “took one’s breath away.” But Benjamin is part of a deeply religious Quaker family, and Quaker beliefs forbid the creation of images. Because Benjamin’s family didn’t approve of his art, he had to make his own painting supplies. The local Native Americans taught him how to mix paints from earth, clay, and plants. And his cat, Grimalkin, sacrificed hair from his tail for Ben’s brushes. This classic story from Newbery Award–winning author Marguerite Henry features the original text and illustrations in a gorgeous collectible hardcover edition.