The americanization of benjamin franklin chapter summary. The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin in SearchWorks catalog 2022-12-23

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The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin is a book written by Gordon S. Wood, which explores the life and legacy of one of America's Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was a key figure in the American Revolution and played a crucial role in shaping the nation's early government and political system.

The book begins by discussing Franklin's early life and how he rose to fame as a scientist, inventor, and writer. Franklin was born in Boston in 1706 and was the fifteenth of seventeen children. He received very little formal education, but he was a voracious reader and self-taught himself many subjects, including science, mathematics, and philosophy. He became known for his many inventions, including the lightning rod and the bifocal glasses, and he also wrote numerous articles and essays on a wide range of topics.

One of the main themes of the book is how Franklin helped to shape the American identity and values. As a member of the Continental Congress, Franklin played a key role in drafting the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He was a strong advocate for democracy and believed in the power of the people to govern themselves. He also believed in the importance of education and the need to provide opportunities for all people to succeed.

Another important aspect of the book is how Franklin's life and legacy have been shaped and interpreted by different people over time. Throughout his life, Franklin was admired for his intelligence, wit, and practicality, and he became a symbol of the American Dream. However, he was also criticized for his financial success and accused of being a self-promoter. In recent years, his legacy has been reevaluated and he has been recognized for his contributions to science and his efforts to promote racial and gender equality.

Overall, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin is a fascinating look at the life and legacy of one of America's most important figures. It provides a detailed and nuanced understanding of Franklin's contributions to the country and how his ideas and values continue to influence American society today.

The Americanization Of Benjamin Franklin By Wood Summary

the americanization of benjamin franklin chapter summary

At that time, he became an aristocratic gentleman, and devoted himself to serving the public good. For example, Franklin invented electricity; he was very fond of learning languages, practicing skills in rhetoric, and more. He was sent to France as a diplomat to gain French support for the revolutionary forces at which he was very successful. When the French and Indian War broke out, Franklin was still very pro-British. The American people thought he was too partial to France. At one point Franklin nearly convinced Oswald to agree to give Canada to the newly independent colonies.

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The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin by Gordon S. Wood

the americanization of benjamin franklin chapter summary

Benjamin Franklin influenced much on creating a positive image of U. It would be hard to fully explain all he was, what he believed and everything he accomplished. This was especially true for the young American Benjamin Franklin. When thinking about America, usually what comes to mind is wealth, liberty and independence. It helps us to get to know more about the certain period of history and about those who act in these periods. Being born in the family of a soap and candle maker, from his early childhood Benjamin Franklin developed the best values of a gentleman and leader.

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The americanization of benjamin franklin Essay Example

the americanization of benjamin franklin chapter summary

This was a highly uncommon opinion in the American colonies throughout this time period. Benjamin Franklin has written his autobiography in a unique and unified way, but also in some ways very disjointed making the effectiveness of the theme detracted, which made reading his autobiography even more difficult to understand and follow at times. His name was reaching to a lot of the European empires due to these amazing findings. With only a few years of schooling, Franklin managed to get into the printing trade and educated himself on how to become a successful writer. His part in the founding of electricity due to his experiments with the kite and the key was engraved in my head from a young age.

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The Americanization Of Benjamin Franklin Book Summary

the americanization of benjamin franklin chapter summary

As a politician, Franklin wore many hats. Skemp alludes to Franklin's loyalty, her main illustration is how the attack by Alexander Wedderburn during the Privy Council led to Franklin's disillusionment with the British crown and the greater interest in making the Thirteen Colonies their own nation. However in The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, author Gordon S. Evidence of the changes can be seen in his 1773 article called Rules by Which a Great Empire May be Reduced to a Small One in which he openly criticized the British for being oppressive to the colonists. We all know him, or think we do: In recent works and in our inherited conventional wisdom, he remains fixed in place as a genial polymath and self-improver who was so very American that he is known by us all as the first American.

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Cambridge US AICE History Chapter blog.sigma-systems.com

the americanization of benjamin franklin chapter summary

His values were developed in the context of the U. Franklin was elected to the Second Continental Congressā€¦ Summary: The Autobiography Of Benjamin Franklin When thinking of Benjamin Franklin, two thoughts come to my mind. Wood explains that that was only a part of Franklin's real personality. Surprisingly, for most of his life, Franklin was an enthusiastic imperialist. Now 54 years old, Franklin wrote a pamphlet in 1860 to persuade the British to acquire Canada from the French so that they could become an even greater world power and give the colonists a sense of security, too.

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The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin in SearchWorks catalog

the americanization of benjamin franklin chapter summary

His personal and religious values turned to be very good in the context of international relations with Britain, but also in the context of newly developed features of America. He also helped to build a militia to protect the city in case of foreign aggression, despite having pacifist Quakers as most of the population. He involves himself with public affairs and causes aimed at improving the lives of others. Josiah apprenticed Ben to James, Ben's older brother who was a printmaker in Boston. By this time, Ben was in his early 20s, well educated in the classics and a skilled printmaker. After the treaty was formally ratified on May 12, 1784, Franklin asked to be sent home.

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The Story of Benjamin Franklin

the americanization of benjamin franklin chapter summary

Whether it be the author, founding father, printer, inventor, or any of the other various tittles. Get your paper price 124 experts online Once poor, Franklin managed o earn more than enough money to live comfortably and become very well known throughout the colonies. By 1782 with the help of French commissioners, Britain had finally signed a peace treaty with the United States declaring the U. Personal Freedom and Independence: The Works of Benjamin Franklin and Henry David Thoreau Benjamin Franklin was a scholar and lexicographer, a representative of the American Enlightenment, ideologist of the national liberation movement. This education helped Franklin in many ways to write many books, outsmart other politicians, and create new inventions. The attitude in the Americas was that if you worked hard, no matter where you came from, success was in your future.


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The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin Summary and Analysis (like SparkNotes)

the americanization of benjamin franklin chapter summary

After months of further tinkering, the Americans signed the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783. Starting his own press business in the other city was very hard, but Benjamin Franklin had luck as he met many good people in his way who helped him to succeed and patronized him. He only knew his mother, a brother and a sister and he did not even know the time or the place of his birth. Ben Franklin's Transformation It is not completely clear exactly when Ben Franklin's disillusionment with the British began. He got permission in May 1785 and sailed home two months later. Franklin defined his vision of what a true American should be, reconciling practical values such as hard work, saving, education, self-sufficient institutions and freedom from political and religious oppression, with the scientific and tolerance-based values of the intellectual movement Southgate 2007.

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The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin

the americanization of benjamin franklin chapter summary

Skemp's The Making of a Patriot explores how Benjamin Franklin tried to stay loyal to the crown while taking interest in the colonies perception and their own representation in Parliament. Click on a plot link to find similar books! Franklin would spend most of the next 20 years in England as a representative of the colonies. When he returned he had become a champion of American independence and democracy, largely as a result of his popularity with the French. What most people today don't know is that Franklin retired from business at age 42. Gordon Wood is a history professor at Brown University. In his book, Wood's purpose is to portray the lesser known details of Benjamin Franklin's life and his transformation from a Loyalist of the Royal Crown, to a patriot who would unknowingly become one of the most massively symbolic and significant figures in American history.

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