The Life of Benjamin Franklin, volume 03: Soldier, Scientist, and Politician, 1748-1757

Volume 3 of the acclaimed biography narrates Franklin's growth from printer to public-spirited politician, soldier, and patriot.

Representing a lifetime of research by the dean of Franklin scholars, this seven-volume biography will give enthusiasts and scholars an important resource for understanding Benjamin Franklin's character and place in American history. This first volume chronicles the early years of Franklin, from his birth to his marriage in 1730.

Publishers Weekly

Veteran Franklin scholar Lemay offers a highly detailed examination of the life of one of the most fascinating of America's founders. In volume one we meet a precociously clever Franklin, who first experimented with a kite around age 12 and at the ripe old age of 16 wrote his polemical Silence Dogood essays, which established his place in the American literary firmament. Lemay usefully situates Franklin in 18th-century mores, but too often loses sight of the forest for the trees. An entire chapter is devoted to Franklin's brother James, who undoubtedly had a huge influence on his sibling, but the chapter isn't tightly connected to Ben. In volume two Lemay recreates Franklin's personal life: the birth of his illegitimate son, William (Franklin scholars have speculated endlessly about the identity of William's mother; Lemay guesses she was the wife of one of Franklin's friends); Franklin's marriage to Deborah Read, whom he praised as a "plain country" woman, and "the Joy of my Life," and the death of Franklin's father, Josiah. Franklin's civic side also emerges. Lemay describes his affiliation with the Freemasons and argues (in contrast to some earlier biographers) that Franklin was actively interested in political squabbles in Pennsylvania throughout the 1740s. The liveliest chapter focuses on Franklin's role in the establishment of Philadelphia's Library Company; the great library was, in some ways, Franklin's church, a "manifestation of Franklin's belief in democracy and egalitarianism." Frustratingly, Lemay breaks up chapters into countless short subsections, disrupting the narrative flow. Scholars will find these volumes informative, but general readers will do better with livelier, more compact books by Walter Isaacson, Edmund Morgan or Gordon Wood. (Oct.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Named "one of the best books of 2006" by "The New York Sun" Described by Carl Van Doren as "a harmonious human multitude," Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American of his time, of perhaps any time. His life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in Enlightenment science, and a major creator of what has come to be known as the American character. Journalist, musician, politician, scientist, humorist, inventor, civic leader, printer, writer, publisher, businessman, founding father, philosopher, Franklin is a touchstone for America's egalitarianism. Volume 2 takes Franklin from his marriage in 1730 to his retirement as a printer at the beginning of 1748, examining the mysteries of the illegitimate William Franklin's birth and mother and Franklin's increasing civic activities--starting the Library Company in Philadelphia in 1731, forming Pennsylvania's first volunteer fire company, and becoming an advocate for a clean Philadelphia environment. J. A. Leo Lemay assesses Franklin's numerous writings, attributing to him for the first time a deistic Indian speech, remarking on his use of the second African American persona in journalism, and analyzing his publishing sensation of 1747, "The Speech of Miss Polly Baker." These belletristic works are complemented by Franklin's religious, political, and scientific writings, which he produced prodigiously. Named "one of the best books of 2006" by "The New York Sun" Described by Carl Van Doren as "a harmonious human multitude," Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American of his time, of perhaps any time. His life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in Enlightenment science, and a major creator of what has come to be known as the American character. Journalist, musician, politician, scientist, humorist, inventor, civic leader, printer, writer, publisher, businessman, founding father, and philosopher, Franklin is a touchstone for America's egalitarianism. The first volume traces young Franklin's life to his marriage in 1730. It traces the New England religious, political, and cultural contexts, exploring previously unknown influences on his philosophy and writing, and attributing new writings to him. After his move to Philadelphia, made famous in his "Autobiography," Franklin became the Water American in London in 1725, where he was welcomed into that city's circle of freethinkers. Upon his return to the colonies, the sociable Franklin created a group of young friends, the Junto, devoted to self-improvement and philanthropy. He also started his own press and began to edit and publish the "Pennsylvania Gazette," which became the most popular American paper of its day and the first to consistently feature American news.

Described as "a harmonious human multitude," Ben Franklin's life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in Enlightenment science, and a major creator of what has come to be known as the American character. Journalist, musician, politician, scientist, humorist, inventor, civic leader, printer, writer, publisher, businessman, founding father, philosopher—a genius in all fields and a bit of a magician in some.

Volume 3 begins in the year 1748, when Franklin was known in Pennsylvania as clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly and in the Middle Colonies as the printer and editor of Poor Richard's Almanac and the Pennsylvania Gazette, the best-known colonial publications. By the middle of 1757, where this volume leaves off, he had become famous in Pennsylvania as a public-spirited citizen and soldier in the conflicts of the Seven Years' War; well known throughout America as a writer, politician, and the most important theorist and patriot of the American empire; and renowned in the western world as a natural philosopher. This volume tells the story of that transformation.

Described as "a harmonious human multitude," Ben Franklin's life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in Enlightenment science, and a major creator of what has come to be known as the American character. Journalist, musician, politician, scientist, humorist, inventor, civic leader, printer, writer, publisher, businessman, founding father, philosopher—a genius in all fields and a bit of a magician in some. Volume 3 begins in the year 1748, when Franklin was known in Pennsylvania as clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly and in the Middle Colonies as the printer and editor of Poor Richard's Almanac and the Pennsylvania Gazette , the best-known colonial publications. By the middle of 1757, where this volume leaves off, he had become famous in Pennsylvania as a public-spirited citizen and soldier in the conflicts of the Seven Years' War; well known throughout America as a writer, politician, and the most important theorist and patriot of the American empire; and renowned in the western world as a natural philosopher. This volume tells the story of that transformation. Overview: Described As A Harmonious Human Multitude, Ben Franklin's Life And Careers Were So Varied And Successful That He Remains, Even Today, The Epitome Of The Self-made Man. Born Into A Humble Tradesman's Family, This Adaptable Genius Rose To Become An Architect Of The World's First Democracy, A Leading Light In Enlightenment Science, And A Major Creator Of What Has Come To Be Known As The American Character. Journalist, Musician, Politician, Scientist, Humorist, Inventor, Civic Leader, Printer, Writer, Publisher, Businessman, Founding Father, Philosopher - A Genius In All Fields And A Bit Of A Magician In Some. V. 1. Journalist, 1706-1730 -- V. 2. Printer And Publisher, 1730-1747 -- V. 3. Soldier, Scientist And Politician, 1748-1757. J.a. Leo Lemay. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. List of IllustrationsPrefacePART I. BOSTON: YOUTH, 1706-1723Prologue: Quandary1. Boston2. Child to Adolescent3. Printer's Devil4. Massachusetts Controversies, 1716-17235. Nathaniel Gardner and the Couranteers6. James Franklin: America's First Newspaperman7. Silence Dogood in Context8. "Saucy and Provoking": Franklin Takes Charge9. Assessing Franklin as a Youth, to Age SeventeenPART II. ADRIFT, AGE SEVENTEEN TO TWENTY-FOUR, 1723-173010. The Runaway11. The Water American: London Escapades12. At Sea, 172613. Merchant to Master Printer, 1726-172814. The Junto15. Business, 1728-1730, and "Articles of Religion"16. The Busy-Body17. Paper Currency18. Journalist19. Assessing Franklin, Age Seventeen to Twenty-fourAppendix: New AttributionsSources and DocumentationList of AbbreviationsNotesIndexAcknowledgments Presents the life of Benjamin Franklin, including how the climate of the time influenced his philosophies and works, his extremely active work life, and his role in the development of the United States. IN AUGUST 1723 seventeen-year-old Franklin found himself jobless and ostracized.