The show implies Franklin did not take patents despite being encouraged to do so by friends, arguing science was a gift to humanity and useful inventions should not be restricted from widespread adoption. Not just bifocals, but also efficient hearths and lightning rods.
Franklin was aggressive in expanding his print business in multiple cities, starting a fire department, offering insurance, establishing police services, founding the University of Pennsylvania and debating politics with the Junto of the Leather Apron Society.
Although I believe the explanation, there is certainly no shortage of mythmaking when it comes to early American Presidents. The cynic in me wonders about how strong the patent system was at that time, though I applaud Franklin’s conscience.
You may be interested in the recent Behind the Bastards 4-part series on Thomas Jefferson, which would give you some insight into some of your questions. They talk at length about Monticello. The series focuses mainly on Jefferson and his views and practices with regard to slavery, not his Presidency.
DNA evidence suggests that at least one child of Sally Hemings shared paternal DNA with the Jefferson lineage. IIRC it had to be either be Jefferson himself or a male relative, but there were no other Jefferson men around Hemings at that time to make it plausibly anyone else. My impression is, it was a controversial idea for a long time until the DNA evidence came out and historians more or less now agree this is the most likely explanation.
Don’t know about the Patent system in early America. I suspect it was akin to the Patent system in England. Maybe even connected to it.
Yes, Franklin made lots of money with his inventions by notoriety. He was pretty famous in his time.
He and Debra(who ran things when he was traveling in what seemed like forever) were very industrious.
He never lacked for opportunities.
Certainly. In fact, there’s been a revival of interest, and there are recordings.
I haven’t hearc an armonium/glass harmonica in person, but I’ve heard someone playing the equivalent – a series of glasses attached to a tabletop – in New Orleans.
You can read more than you ever wanted to know here:
Interesting thing about Franklin – I’ve been spoiled by the image of him as a wit in the Peter Stone/Sherman Edwards musical 1776, but apparently in real life Franklin sort of faded into the background and wasn’t perpetually popping off bon mots in Congress.
I consider Ben Franklin not just one of the top five greatest Americans in history, but also one of the top twenty most influential figures worldwide. He was a true polymath, blessed with a sharp wit and a knack for making a mark in multiple domains. His resume reads like a historical VIP list: Founding Father of the United States, U.S. Ambassador to France, revolutionary scientist and inventor, pioneering journalist and publisher, public library system initiator, educational reformer, postal system overhaul architect, fervent abolitionist, urban improvement innovator, and founder of the American Philosophical Society.
Franklin’s views on race notably progressed from typical 18th-century norms to a forward-thinking stance, ultimately advocating strongly for abolition. And let’s not forget his comedic stint in Paris, sharing an inn—and a bed!—with John Adams. I picture them as the historical “Odd Couple,” Franklin playing the laid-back Oscar to Adams’ uptight Felix, their banter must have been a show worth a front-row seat!
He’s the historical character I’d most like to meet IRL.
A long time ago I happened upon his autobiography, and recall that he became a vegetarian in his teens due to his ethical concerns of eating animals. I found this fascinating, as I had no idea vegetarianism was a thing back then. But it didn’t last long for Ben: one day, while walking along a dock at the harbor, he caught a whiff of some fish being fried. It smelled so good he couldn’t help himself: he ate a few, it tasted good, and that was the end of his vegetarianism.
None (outside of the football and other teams calling themselves The Quakers).
I believe Penn was the first university–in North America at least–to be founded without religion. I believe all the earlier ones were founded essentially as divinity schools. And Penn was founded long before UVA. Exactly when is another story. All over the campus you will find signs that say “Founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1740”. That is a lie. There was indeed some kind of school founded in 1740, but Franklin didn’t get involved until around 1750. So why the signs? They want to claim both the Franklin heritage and the fact that they are older than Princeton, founded in 1746. So they lie. But it was totally secular and much older than UVA.
Edited to add: Believe it or not, in my original post that 21 is a 19 but the software changed it to a 21 and will not allow me to change it back. So my first point answers 20 and the second answers 19.
Could I have a cite for this? I know Jefferson was fluent in French, but from what I read Franklin had just a basic understanding and his writing needed a translator to put it into proper French.
Let’s not also forget that at some point Franklin was given use of some nobleman’s giant chateau. That allowed all the adorers in Paris, even more than the number in England, to come to him, talk about lofty things, and share gossip and intelligence about the government’s affairs. That’s where he also wrote hundreds of letters about same, some of them in his “basic French,” a comment I remember but can’t remember where. Anyway, his French was better than Adams’ but only enough to get along in conversations.
The night he shared a bed with Adams was in 1776, in New Brunswick, not in Paris. He lived in Passy from 1777 to 1785 and other Americans complained about the life of luxury Franklin led, although he worked very long days trying to get money, supplies, and support from France. For that alone - helping greatly to win the Revolution - he should be as great a figure as Washington.
That wasn’t in Paris – it was in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Peter Stone actually wrote a scene about this in 1776, but they cut it out.
I’ve long suspected that the in they stayed at was the Indian Queen Tavern, which used to be in New Brunswick proper, but has since been moved to East Jersey Old Town
Yes, I misremembered, Adams and Franklin did share the bed in NJ, not Paris. Somehow, that’s even funnier.
And I agree, Franklin should be deemed at least as great as Washington—though George led a pretty remarkable life himself. Not only did he lead the Continental Army and become the first president, he enjoyed playing practical jokes, loved to dance, and perfected his own recipe for home-brew beer. A general, a president, a joker, a dancer, and a master brewer—now that’s a president to be proud of!
True. But how many $100 bills do you see compared to the number of quarters - and $1 bills? Washington is in your eyes and hands all the time and Franklin just hangs around with international drug dealers.
And when he was on the 50 cent piece he hung around slot machines in Vegas. So your point is that Franklin is one of the naughty boy, cool kids? How fitting.
I guess I learned something today. I mean, it’s no surprise that there were 50 cent pieces before JFK; I just had never, to the best of my memory, seen one or been aware of who or what was on them.
How fitting.