HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
Category Archives: Benjamin Franklin
After Thomas Jefferson completed his draft of the Declaration of Independence, he submitted it to the committee ordained for that purpose. They made only a few changes or suggestions. Then it was placed before the whole Congress for its adoption.
Thomas squirmed as members of Congress made their own remarks and suggestions. John Adams defended it. Benjamin Franklin turned to Thomas Jefferson and told this tale from his days as a printer:
“One of my friends, an apprentice hatter, had decided to open a shop for himself. His first concern was to have a handsome signboard with a proper inscription. He composed it in these words: ‘John Thompson, hatter, makes and sells hats for ready money,’ with a figure of a hat subjoined.’ But he thought he would submit it to his friends for their amendments.
The printing press with movable type was invented by Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468). That enabled him to print the first Bible. But it didn’t come easily for Johannes. He had to borrow money. He first borrowed 800 guilders from a friend and partner to found his printing business.
Johannes’ intention was to begin printing and selling Bibles, and therewith pay back his loan. Things didn’t work out as he had planned. His first printed Bible didn’t come out until 1455. By that time he was more than 2,000 guilders in debt.
After Benjamin Franklin was sent to France by Congress, John Adams was soon sent to join and assist him in his labors. Adams and Franklin were very different personalities. Ben was very patient, diplomatic, affable and even affectionate.
John Adams, on the other hand was terse, undiplomatic, impatient, and even gruff at times. Ben and John didn’t see eye to eye on how to proceed. Finally John became so impatient that he uncharacteristically left his assignment and travelled to Amsterdam where he was able to be introduced to some Dutch bankers. Men who controlled money. He was able to convince them to come to the aid of the Colonies, and save the Revolution at desperate time in the War. Thus saving the armies of Washington.
When Ben Franklin was sent to France to try to obtain an agreement from the French King for support in the Revolutionary War, he knew he would have to get himself noticed. Ben knew he had to make a great first impression! The French expected him to dress like their image of the Colonials. So he dressed that way.
The way the French expected an American to dress: He wore a coonskin cap, a beaver coat, and shoes made in America. He did get noticed. It worked for him. He eventually even got to see the King and he did obtain a Treaty. As a result, America eventually won the war.
Of course you remember learning about Benjamin Franklin’s Farmer’s Almanac titled “Poor Richard’s Almanac”. As a printer, Ben knew of the business of Almanacs. Farmers relied on them to prognosticate the weather for their planting and harvesting seasons.
Ben made his more financially successful by adding Poor Richard as the wise old farmer, and quoting him unabashedly in his pages. Poor Richard came up with several doozies that we still quote today. One of those was “Fish and Visitors stink in three days!”
One of my heroes is Benjamin Franklin. I have found that he is likewise the hero to many Americans. As I have spoken to many different groups over the past 25 or 30 years about our Founding Fathers, I have found that the people’s favorite is hands down Benjamin Franklin.
My presentations based on his life are better attended and more eagerly and readily accepted that those of any other Founding Father about which I speak. Hands down. It’s not even very close. People of all ages and backgrounds love Ben Franklin!
My three grandchildren are living with me at this time. Three very handsome boys. Since school is out for the summer, they have to find things to keep them occupied—or their mother has to!
One thing they love to do is to go swimming in our backyard pool. They love the slide and the diving board. Even at their ages, 1, 8, and 11. It’s fun for them and it cools them off when it’s 115 degrees outside. Between their mother
You’d be interested to know that their mother has helped, as have swimming lessons, but they have mostly learned how to swim, slide and dive on their own.
We know that Franklin was in his lifetime a man who accomplished innumerable extraordinary things, including inventions, diplomatic missions, writings, and printing. We could list a page full. Easily.
He was always learning and helping. One of the character traits he exhibited was that he really didn’t care who got credit. He considered that if God gave him the wisdom to come up with new solutions, inventions or remedies, he wanted to bring those about. He didn’t want the glory. That’s why he never patented any of his inventions. He put them out for public use and benefit.
I know you really admire Ben Franklin and all he accomplished. But I bet you didn’t know that during his lifetime children also loved Franklin. And he just loved them right back. Occasionally he showed them his compliments for children and even their pets, by writing rhyming poetry. Simple rhyming verse.
Once Ben sent to the children of friends of his in England the gift of an American squirrel which he had named “Skug”. Skug is the Indian name for the gray squirrel.
A year later Ben received a note from the English children sharing with Ben Skug’s untimely demise. Ben wrote back to the children expressing his condolences and including an epitaph for the burial of Skug. Here is what he wrote: