Franklin and the American Dream
Ben Franklin exemplified the sense that if a man just worked hard enough, he could obtain prosperity in America. This abundant gaining of the fruit of one's labor is what became known as "The American Dream." Franklin was certainly a proponent of this dream, as is evident in his Autobiography. This paper will show how Franklin's Autobiography marks him as a man who had a large impact on the formation of the essence of the American Dream.
Franklin's life is one that shows how a young man can arrive in a big city without any money in his pocket and how with the application of his knowledge of a trade can set about amassing his fortune. That is what Franklin did, when he arrived in Philadelphia at the age of 17 after passing through "a squall that tore our rotten sails to pieces" (Franklin 17). The squall represents all the turmoil that a person must overcome in order to succeed and by going through this storm on his way to the job opportunity waiting for him in Philadelphia, Franklin showed that he was up to the task.
As Franklin notes, he "immediately got into work at Palmer's, then a famous...
I dressed plain and was seen at no places of idle diversion. I never went out a-fishing or shooting; a book indeed sometimes debauched me from my work, but that was seldom, was private, and gave no scandal; and to show that I was not above my business, I sometimes brought home the paper I purchased at the stores through the streets on a wheelbarrow (Franklin, 1914, p. 70). Franklin
He also related how his small group of friends played tricks with their unwitting neighbors. His friends would set fire on alcohol, rekindled candles blown out, imitate lightning flashes or by touching or kissing and make an artificial spider move (Bellis). Using the Leyden jar, Benjamin made an electrical batter, roasted a fowl on a spit fired with electricity, ignited alcohol by electricity through water, fired gunpowder and shocked wine
Benjamin Franklin is considered one of the most important men in American history. Among his many contributions to the world were inventions such as the Franklin stove, the bifocal, and the harnessing of electricity. He is also renowned for his writings, including contributions to the United States' Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. One of his most enduring works has been his multi-volume autobiography wherein he highlights some of the
Preface – Moral Leadership in an International Context South Africa - Johannesburg and Cape Town December 2018 – January 2019 Wow! What an adventure! This trip/course to South Africa with my Candler School of Theology comrades was a full bounty of knowledge and personal growth. The agenda set forth by our instructors Dr. Robert Franklin, Dr. Gregory Ellison, and Dr. Letitia Campbell was chock full of meetings and interviews with current moral leaders
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