Benjamin Franklin is a name many people know due to his incredible accomplishments and contributions that are still expanding and being revealed today. He is largely known as a scientist, statesman, and inventor; however, his contributions to the world go beyond these three items. He was an author, statesman, musician, entrepreneur, businessman, and much more. He was an ambitious man and believed in the power of hard work and possibility. He is known for famously saying “Nothing can be done without Hope and Confidence.”
The Early Life of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17th, 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents were Josiah and Abiah Franklin. He was the youngest son and also had 15 other siblings. Unfortunately, his father wasn’t able to provide for each of Benjamin’s siblings, so he was placed in an apprenticeship with his brother, James Franklin.
The Scientific Pursuits of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin had a voracious love of learning and a great curiosity in exploring the scientific facets of the world. As a young adult, he made several discoveries due to scientific experimentation. He invented a case to accurately measure the temperature of water and the discovery of electricity through the invention of the lightning rod, leading to the start of the electricity industry.
Franklin is also accredited with formulating the law of conservation of charge and also developed the concept of positive and negative electrical charges. He was able to apply this concept to create the Franklin battery, a device that was used to store electrical energy to light electric lamps.
The Political Contributions of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was an influential part of the founding of the United States of America. He was a key participant and drafter of the Declaration of Independence and landed the alliance with France during the American Revolutionary War. After the war, he was one of the delegates for the signing of the U.S. Constitution.
Franklin was also an active statesman. He took part in several conferences that helped progress the American Revolution and the formation of the United States. His diplomatic and strategic efforts were considered extremely crucial to the success of the venture. After the U.S. Constitution was signed, he dedicated his time to the establishment of a strong economy and government for America.
The Inventions of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was driven by the desire to create and innovate and one of the most prominent and well known inventions is his bifocal lenses. He had a vision impairment that made seeing distant and near objects difficult and this motivated him to develop the bifocal lenses to better suit his needs.
He also developed and improved on several health and hygiene inventions such as the metal stove, known as the Franklin stove and founded the first fire station in America. He also developed improvements to swimming aids, such as ballast belts, which would help swimmers keep afloat in water.
Other Contributions of Benjamin Franklin
Throughout his life, Benjamin Franklin was driven to improve and develop different aspects of the world. He was a staunch believer in education and founded the Library Company of Philadelphia, the first lending library in the United States, which is still active today.
Franklin was also a prominent figure in the field of literature. He wrote a number of books, such as his famous autobiography, and was known for his skills as a satirist and humorist. Due to his fondness for music, he designed the instrument the glass armonica.
Throughout his life, Benjamin Franklin has earned the recognition of being a scientist, statesman, and inventor for his revolutionary contributions in the scientific field, the formation of the United States, and his inventions. However, there is no one title to describe Franklin as he was a brilliant individual that contributed to numerous other fields of social and economic life throughout his amazing life and he remains an inspiration today.
