Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is the urban entrepreneur who rose to the top of the social ladder, becoming a scientist, inventor, diplomat, writer and business strategist. Franklin success is because of his soft countenance, initiative and morals. Franklin preached an egalitarian way of life, believing anyone could make it to the top. In Walter Isaacson's, 2003 book, Benjamin Franklin we get a vivid description of Franklin's life. His inventions and accomplishments are explained. But most importantly, Isaacson explains how we are living in a country centered around Franklin's beliefs.

Throughout Franklin's life he gained inspiration, but without his initiative he would not have been what he was. In 1723 Franklin migrated to Philadelphia to become a printer. Samuel Keimer, a stranger let Franklin be his apprentice. Keimer was known throughout Philadelphia as a disheveled and quirky man with a motley printing operation. Franklin quoted him as " An odd fish whom was a paternal man to me." Franklin enjoyed working for Keimer and their philosophical debates. In 1724 Franklin's relationship with Keimer deteriorated, as he received a loan from the tradesman William Keith to open his own printing business. Keimer disapproved of competition and felt betrayed. He avoided Franklin for the last eighteen years of his life.

Franklin would run his Philadelphia printing press before becoming a full time politician and scientist in 1732. Philadelphia was always Franklin's home. While he was born in Boston (1706) and spent years at a time in Paris and London, he always called Philadelphia his true home. It was the place where he met his wife Deborah, started The Pennsylvania Gazette, founded the University of Pennsylvania and mingled with aristocrats in Town Hall. Franklin's rise as an urban entrepreneur began in Philadelphia. His love of the city is apparent. He founded many organizations there such as the University of Pennsylvania and gave a lot of his will money to the city. In 1785, when Franklin returned to Philadelphia from his travels in Paris he quoted his admiration for the city, "We were received by a crowd of people with huzzas and accompanied with acclamations quite to my door." His response was,"Good old Philadelphia!" Franklin was appreciated and loved by the Philadelphians.

Franklin was a frugal man. He would watch his money, claiming it would be a disaster to die poor. He acquired this virtue as a young boy in Boston, when he encountered a boy blowing a whistle. Franklin was enchanted and gave all the coins in his pocket for it. When he told his siblings how much he paid they ridiculed him, saying he had paid four times what it was worth. Franklin quoted " I cried with vexation and the reflection gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure." This always stood as a clear memory in Franklin's mind. Due to embarrassment he was reluctant to publicly share it until he was sixty seven. From this lesson a Franklin motto evolved, "Industry and frugality is the means of procuring wealth and thereby securing virtue."

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