Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is the epitome of the American Dream. He came from a very poor family and through his hard work, ethics, frugality, virtues and personal drive he became the great American that we know him as today. He was not a fancy person, just a person who focused his life on self-improvement and being a great example for others on how they should live their lives. He was able to admit his faults as well as accept his accomplishments.

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 6, 1706 and was the ninth of eleven children. His parents were Josiah and Abiah Franklin. He did not finish school, in fact he stopped going to school and receiving a formal education at the age of ten. He was very fond of reading books. Franklin wrote that he could always be found with books. He would use the little money he had to buy books and then sell those books so he would have money to purchase more books. He was a self-educated man and he was always looking for ways to improve himself. He once read a book about a vegetable diet and decided he was not going to eat meat. He was working in a print shop and living with his unmarried brother at a boarding house. His brother was paying for Franklin's way at this boarding house. Since Franklin was not going to be eating meat he asked his brother for half of what he would pay for him at the boarding house. His brother agreed and Franklin writes that he used this extra money to buy more books to educate himself more. Since he was not eating as much as the others he also took the opportunity to study while the other workers were taking their lunches. This example clearly showed his desire for self-improvement. He also admits a few mistakes he made along the way. He stated in his book that even though he is busy, he had some free time on his hands so he decided to write the story of his life. He could have just relaxed but he said he wanted the use the free time to be somewhat productive. This is

an example of his overwhelming desire to continually push himself to achieve more. His humble side and his ability to admit his errors can be shown when he writes that one of his biggest mistakes was not returning to Miss Read, who was his fiancé. He only wrote her one letter and in that letter he told her he would not be returning anytime soon. He told his son if he had a chance to live life over again that is one mistake he would correct.

Franklin's need for self-reliance helped him be successful as a printer. There were no other foundries at that time in America that were making the casting type for printing. He had remembered this type of print in London and decided to make his own molds making him the first printer in America to do this. He writes that he also made the ink, engraved his own items and was his own warehouseman. He was a one man operation. Yet another example of his frugality and self-reliance can be seen in this action.

Two of Franklin's friends, Benjamin