An Important Inventor and Writer-- by Jesse Crum

Jesse Crum
April 7, 2009
An Important Inventor and Writer: Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin has been an important man in American history for more than 200 years. Ben Franklin grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. Later, in Philadelphia, Ben liked to read, write, and invent. Ben was a hard worker because he loved his country.
The Franklin family lived in Boston, Massachusetts. Ben Franklin’s parents were Josiah and Abiah Franklin. Ben Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 . Ben Franklin had seven sisters and nine brothers. Because there were so many children, Ben Franklin had only two years of school. He was good at reading and writing but not at math, When he left school he was ten years old. Ben Franklin liked to swim. So, when he was eleven, he invented swim paddles and fins so he could swim faster, but the wood was too heavy. He kept on learning even when he was out of school.
Ben Franklin liked to read, write and invent when he was older. Ben began working as a printer when he was twelve. Ben went to live with his brother James, who was a printer, until he was 21. After work, Ben read by candlelight long after midnight. Ben got married in 1730 when he was 24 years old. He married Deborah Read. When Ben was 24, he also bought a newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette. When he bought the newspaper he saw that it wasn’t interesting, so he wrote a better one. Ben also wrote almanacs. Ben also had the first lending library in the U.S. In 1752 Ben proved that lightning is electricity by flying a kite with a metal wire on it in the middle of a storm. Ben had the first fire brigade. It was called the bucket brigade. He invented the lightning rod to help stop lightning from burning the houses, and he also invented bifocals. Ben was a hard worker and liked to invent things that helped people.
Ben worked hard to help his country, too. Ben Franklin helped write the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Ben wrote a letter to General Washington recommending Baron von Steuben to train the army at Valley Forge. He wrote the Treaty of Paris to end the Revolutionary War. He also helped write the Constitution. Ben was a good writer.
Benjamin Franklin received an honor from the French government. It was a medal that said "He snatched the lightning from heaven and the scepter from tyrants." Ben Franklin died on April 17, 1790, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When he died he was the oldest person in Philadelphia by 20 years. He was 84 years old. He was famous then, and he is still famous today.