You probably know him as the guy on the hundred-dollar bill or the crazy old man flying a kite in a thunderstorm. Most people think of him as a dry, stuffy historical figure. Honestly? That couldn't be further from the truth. If Benjamin Franklin were alive today, he’d probably be a tech billionaire with a massive Twitter following and a side hustle in stand-up comedy.
He was the original American "influencer."
But let’s get past the caricature. When people ask who was Benjamin Franklin, they aren't just asking for a list of dates. They want to know how a guy with only two years of formal schooling ended up being the only person to sign all four of the most important documents in U.S. history: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and the Constitution.
The Runaway Who Built a Media Empire
Franklin wasn't born into greatness. He was the 15th of 17 children. Imagine that dinner table. His father made soap and candles, which sounds fine until you realize it was a smelly, backbreaking job that Ben absolutely hated.
He was supposed to be a minister. Then a candle maker. Eventually, he was apprenticed to his brother James, a printer. James was, by all accounts, a bit of a jerk. He actually beat Ben, which led to a pretty radical move for the 1720s: Ben ran away.
He landed in Philadelphia with three pennies and a loaf of bread under each arm. He was 17.
By the time he was 24, he owned The Pennsylvania Gazette. He didn't just print the news; he invented it. He wrote under pseudonyms, argued with himself in the letters to the editor, and basically created the first viral content. He understood that information was power. He also understood that people like to be entertained, which is why his Poor Richard’s Almanack became a massive bestseller. It was full of the kind of life hacks and "grindset" quotes we see on Instagram today. "Early to bed and early to rise..."—yeah, that was him.
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Was He Actually a Scientist or Just Lucky?
People get the kite story wrong. He didn't just stand in a field waiting to get fried. He was conducting a serious, peer-reviewed experiment to prove that lightning was electricity and not, you know, the literal anger of God.
It worked.
The Franklin stove? He invented it because houses were drafty and smoky. Bifocals? He was tired of switching glasses to see his food and the person he was talking to. The lightning rod? He literally saved cities from burning down.
What makes him a "lifestyle" icon is that he refused to patent any of his inventions. He genuinely believed that if you have an idea that helps people, you should give it away for free. Imagine a Silicon Valley CEO doing that today.
He was also obsessed with self-improvement. He had this little notebook where he tracked 13 virtues, like temperance, silence, and humility. He’d put a little black mark next to the day if he screwed up. He admitted he was terrible at "humility," but he kept trying anyway. It’s comforting to know that even a genius struggled with being a decent human being sometimes.
The International Rock Star of the Revolution
By the time the American Revolution rolled around, Franklin was in his 70s. He should have been retired. Instead, the Continental Congress sent him to France.
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Think about the optics. Here is this guy in a marten-fur cap, playing the role of the "rustic American philosopher" for the French elite. They loved it. Women wore their hair in "coiffure à la Franklin." He was a celebrity.
But it wasn't just about the hats. He was a master diplomat. He played the French and the British against each other to secure the money and troops that literally won the war. Without Franklin’s charm and political maneuvering in Paris, we’d probably still be drinking tea and paying taxes to the King.
The Messy Reality of a Founding Father
We have to talk about the contradictions. It’s easy to paint him as a hero, but history is messy. Franklin owned slaves. He worked with them in his print shop and his home.
However, unlike many of his peers who took their views to the grave, Franklin changed. Late in life, he became an outspoken abolitionist. He served as the president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery. He petitioned Congress to end the slave trade and "restore liberty to those unhappy men."
It doesn’t erase his past, but it shows a capacity for growth that was rare in the 18th century. He was a man who believed in the "perfectibility" of man, and he applied that to himself.
Why Does He Still Matter?
Benjamin Franklin wasn't a soldier like Washington or an orator like Adams. He was a tinkerer. He was a guy who looked at a problem—whether it was a smoky chimney or a tyrannical government—and tried to fix it with logic and a bit of humor.
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He founded the first public library. He started the first volunteer fire department. He helped create the University of Pennsylvania. He was the architect of the American "middle class" identity: the idea that through hard work, curiosity, and a bit of networking, you could become whoever you wanted to be.
How to Live Like Franklin Today
If you want to channel your inner Ben, don't just buy a kite. Try these three things:
- Start a "Junto": Franklin started a club for "mutual improvement." Find a group of friends who are smarter than you and meet once a week to talk about books, business, and ethics.
- The 13 Virtues Experiment: Pick one trait you want to improve—maybe it's just being a better listener—and track it for a week. Be honest about your failures.
- The "Ben Franklin Effect": If you want someone to like you, ask them for a small favor. Franklin realized that when we do something nice for someone, our brains convince us we must like them. It’s a weirdly effective psychological trick.
Benjamin Franklin was the man who discovered that we are all "works in progress." He was a scientist who loved a good party, a printer who shaped a nation, and a flawed human who never stopped trying to be a little bit better than he was the day before.
Next Steps for Deep History Lovers:
If you’re hooked on the 18th century, your next move is to visit the American Philosophical Society archives online. They house the original papers and letters of Franklin. Also, if you’re ever in Philadelphia, skip the tourist traps and go to Franklin Court. It’s the site of his former home, and seeing the "ghost structures" of his house gives you a real sense of the scale of his life. For those who prefer reading, Walter Isaacson’s biography Benjamin Franklin: An American Life is the gold standard for understanding the man behind the bifocals.