What Benjamin Franklin brought to America was priceless and irreplaceable. He introduced experience and an air of reason to a often bickering group of delegates and representatives from the colonies and held them together throughout the Constitutional convention. Without Franklin as an ambassador and voice of wisdom, America would of never become America. Franklin was widely popular in France and was able to secure favor and weapons for America. Benjamin was an eccentric old inventor known for partying that managed to hold together a nation.
How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them.
Effect
Benjamin Franklin's effect on America is a little more easy to measure than most, but still by no means is all of it obvious. Franklin contributed to such a broad scope of American society, politics, and technology that he is absolutely irreplaceable as with all of our Founding Fathers. Franklin's biggest contribution to our society was keeping the delegates in line and together through all the sessions of Continental Congress and through the Constitutional Conventions. His wisdom was absolutely necessary to shaping America and his advancements in technology sent shivers down the spines of science. Benjamin essentially discovered electricity and created bifocals. He created the U.S. postal system, and shaped foreign policy as we know it. Franklin was the eccentric personality, yet voice of reason needed to make America the country she is today.
Words may show a man's wit but actions his meaning.
The body of B. Franklin, Printer (Like the Cover of an Old Book Its Contents torn Out And Stript of its Lettering and Gilding) Lies Here, Food for Worms. But the Work shall not be Lost; For it will (as he Believ'd) Appear once More In a New and More Elegant Edition Revised and Corrected By the Author. The above is an epitaph written by Franklin at age 22. It never managed to make it to his tomb stone that he now shares with his wife.
Energy and persistence conquer all things.
Biography (NOte: This Bio was difficult to write because of the vast scope of things he did in his life time)
Franklin was born January 17th, 1706 in Boston to a soap and candle stick maker. He was a gifted student but was pulled out at age 10 to help Josiah with the candle stick business. Later on at 12 he was apprenticed to his older brother at a print shop, which pleased him much more. Franklin's brother refused to allow him to publish any of Franklin's many writings so Ben had to adopt a alternate name in order to be published. "Mrs. Silence Dogood" published 14 different letters in The New England Courant until his brother found out and he fled to New York City. Benjamin Franklin never made it to New York, instead deciding to stay in Philadelphia. Once in Philadelphia, he continued his education in printing until the Governor sent him to London. Franklin's letters of introduction never arrived in London so he was forced to work in print shops there much to his displeasure. Franklin eventually worked his way up through the social groups in London, becoming quiet popular, and finding time to read more, his greatest pleasure. When he returned to America he fathered a son of wedlock named William. He co-founded a print shop in Philadelphia in 1728. After publishing his second pamphlet Franklin was able to purchase The Pennsylvania Gazette and married Deborah Read in 1730. In 1732 they had their first son but he died 4 years later of small pox. Franklin amassed a great deal of wealth and property over the rest of his civilian life. He pioneered the "Franklin Stove" and in 1752 performed his famous kite experiment with electricity. He received honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, and Oxford University. Franklin established many schools and universities and invented a large number of inventions.
Franklin became a foreign diplomat and represented the Pennsylvania Assembly in England and eventually several other states as well. He was one of the strongest supporters of the repeal of the Stamp Act. Once back in America in 1775 he was elected to the Second Continental Congress, and in 1776 was one of five men to draft the Declaration of Independence and one of thirteen to draft the Articles of Confederation. His wife died in 1774 and he spent from '76 to '85 as a foreign diplomat in France and England. He helped to ratify the Constitution and later helped to have Washington elected as first President. Franklin died on April 17, 1790.
In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.