Benjamin Franklin January 17, [ O. January 6, ] [ Note 1 ] β April 17, was an American polymath : a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and political philosopher. Franklin became a successful newspaper editor and printer in Philadelphia, the leading city in the colonies, publishing The Pennsylvania Gazette at age He organized and was the first secretary of the American Philosophical Society and was elected its president in He was appointed deputy postmaster-general for the British colonies in , [ 6 ] which enabled him to set up the first national communications network.
He was active in community affairs and colonial and state politics, as well as national and international affairs. Franklin became a hero in America when, as an agent in London for several colonies, he spearheaded the repeal of the unpopular Stamp Act by the British Parliament.
An accomplished diplomat, he was widely admired as the first U. His efforts proved vital in securing French aid for the American Revolution. From to , he served as President of Pennsylvania. At some points in his life, he owned slaves and ran "for sale" ads for slaves in his newspaper, but by the late s, he began arguing against slavery , became an active abolitionist , and promoted the education and integration of African Americans into U.
As a scientist, his studies of electricity made him a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics. He also charted and named the Gulf Stream current. His numerous important inventions include the lightning rod , bifocals , glass harmonica and the Franklin stove. He was the only person to sign the Declaration of Independence, Treaty of Paris , peace with Britain and the Constitution.
Foundational in defining the American ethos, Franklin has been called "the most accomplished American of his age and the most influential in inventing the type of society America would become". His more than 30, letters and documents have been collected in The Papers of Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin's father, Josiah Franklin , was a tallow chandler , soaper , and candlemaker. Benjamin's father and all four of his grandparents were born in England.
