The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Including Poor Richard's Almanac, and Familiar LettersPrinter, author, philanthropist, abolitionist, scientist, librarian, diplomat, inventor, philosopher, self-aggrandizer, and social wag, Benjamin Franklin is one of the most fascinating characters in all of American history - a quality that was not lost on the man himself, as his autobiography makes plain.Avoiding the strife of the American Revolution entirely, Franklin focuses his incisive wit on the culture and society of colonial Philadelphia, weaving a mostly true mythology of humble origins and hard work that created the concepts of "The American Dream" and "the self-made man."Originally published in French in 1791, and translated into English and published in London in 1793, this is considered the great autobiography of life in colonial America.American icon BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1706-1790), born in Massachusetts to a British immigrant father and colonial mother, published the famour Poor Richards' Almanack," helped found the University of Pennsylvania, and was the first Postmaster General of the United States. Franklin's likeness adorns, among other things, the United States hundred-dollar bill |
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Page 31
... shilling in copper coin , which I gave to the boatmen for my passage . At first they refused it , on account of my having rowed ; but I insisted on their taking it . Man is sometimes more generous when he has little money than when he ...
... shilling in copper coin , which I gave to the boatmen for my passage . At first they refused it , on account of my having rowed ; but I insisted on their taking it . Man is sometimes more generous when he has little money than when he ...
Page 56
... shillings xpence a week , as much as we could then afford . ound some relations , but they were poor and e to assist him . He now let me know his intentions naining in London and that he never meant to to Philadelphia . He had brought ...
... shillings xpence a week , as much as we could then afford . ound some relations , but they were poor and e to assist him . He now let me know his intentions naining in London and that he never meant to to Philadelphia . He had brought ...
Page 61
... shillings to pay out of his wages every Saturday night for that vile liquor , an expense I was free from . And thus these poor devils keep themselves always under . Watts , after some weeks , desiring to have me in the composing - room ...
... shillings to pay out of his wages every Saturday night for that vile liquor , an expense I was free from . And thus these poor devils keep themselves always under . Watts , after some weeks , desiring to have me in the composing - room ...
Page 62
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Page 63
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Contents
Section 13 | 221 |
Section 14 | 235 |
Section 15 | 237 |
Section 16 | 239 |
Section 17 | 258 |
Section 18 | 260 |
Section 19 | 264 |
Section 20 | 279 |
Section 9 | 152 |
Section 10 | 170 |
Section 11 | 190 |
Section 12 | 208 |
Section 21 | 282 |
Section 22 | 284 |
Section 23 | 312 |
Common terms and phrases
accordingly acquaintance advantage affairs afterward almanac appeared Assembly attend BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Boston bred brother brought called captain continued conversation cter debt dispute employed endeavor England father Franklin friends gave give Gnadenhutten Gout governor hand heard honor horses Hugh Meredith hundred pounds inconvenience Indians industry instructions JANE MECOM Keimer kind learned length letters Little Britain lived lodging London Lord Loudoun Lord Macclesfield Madeira wine master means mention mind Motto never night nklin observed occasion opinion paid paper Pennsylvania perhaps Philadelphia piece pleased pleasure Poor Richard says POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC pounds currency present printed printer printing-house proposed province Quakers received Riddlesden sailed sect sensible sent shillings sometimes soon street thee things thou thought thousand pounds tion told took virtue wagons walk writing wrote young
Popular passages
Page 101 - Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings ; he shall not stand before mean men...
Page 105 - Resolution Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. 5. Frugality Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; ie, waste nothing. 6. Industry Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. 7. Sincerity Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
Page 136 - I happened soon after to attend one of his sermons, in the course of which I perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me. I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers.
Page 104 - I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent our slipping ; and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct.
Page 121 - I therefore filled all the little spaces that occurred between the remarkable days in the calendar with proverbial sentences, chiefly such as inculcated industry and frugality as the means of procuring wealth, and thereby securing virtue ; it being more difficult for a man in want to act always honestly, as, to use here one of those proverbs, it is hard for an empty sack to stand upright.
Page 91 - Our debates possessed me so fully of the subject that I wrote and printed an anonymous pamphlet on it, entitled The Nature and Necessity of a Paper Currency.
Page 312 - Good,' which I think was written by your father. It had been so little regarded by a former possessor, that several leaves of it were torn out ; but the remainder gave me such a turn of thinking, as to have an influence on my conduct through life ; for I have always set a greater value on the character of a doer of good than any other kind of reputation ; and if I have been, as you seem to think, a useful citizen, the public owes the advantage of it to that book.
Page 33 - Street wharf, near the boat I came in, to which I went for a draught of the river water; and, being filled with one of my rolls, gave the other two to a woman and her child that came down the river in the boat with us, and were waiting to go farther. Thus...