Comic illustration of Benjamin Franklin

Illustrations by Chris Danger

Article Options

Presentation View
Teaching Resources

Benjamin Franklin

He helped create the documents that shaped our nation.

Have you ever borrowed books from a public library? Mailed a package at the post office? Seen firefighters at work? If so, you have Benjamin Franklin to thank. He helped start each of these services in America. He was also a skilled inventor. He created glasses called bifocals to help people see clearly and a stove to better heat homes.  

But Franklin’s biggest accomplishment was helping to create the United States.

Never Stop Learning

Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1706. At the time, America was made up of Colonies controlled by Great Britain.

Franklin went to school for only two years, but that didn’t stop him from learning. He was a curious kid who read hundreds of books. At 10 years old, he started working in his father’s shop, making candles. 

When he was 12, Franklin went to work for his brother. Part of his job was printing newspapers. He soon realized that he wanted to write for a paper, not just print one. When he was 17, Franklin set off for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Making His Mark

In 1729, Franklin bought a newspaper. The Pennsylvania Gazette became a well-respected paper in Pennsylvania.

Over the next decades, he worked to improve life in colonial Philadelphia. He started a free public school and the first hospital in the Colonies, among other services.

Franklin also loved to study how things worked. In 1752, he tied a metal key to a kite string and flew it in a storm. Electricity from lightning traveled down the string and struck the key. Franklin had proved that lightning is electrical.

Then he invented lightning rods, which attracted lightning. This prevented it from hitting buildings and causing fires.

Creating a Nation

Like many colonists, Franklin wanted to break free from Britain. In 1775, the American Revolution began. The fight for independence was on.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Franklin and other leaders helped edit the document, which declared the Colonies free from Britain. 

The 13 Colonies eventually won the war. In 1787, Franklin was one of the delegates from different states who met in Philadelphia to create the U.S. Constitution. This plan for running the new nation is still used today.

Over the course of his life, Franklin worked his way from poor candlemaker to inventor, writer, and leader. He died in 1790, at the age of 84.

“Wish not so much to live long as to live well,” Franklin once wrote.

Many say Franklin did both.

Ben’s Big Ideas

Here are some important moments in Franklin’s life.

1752: As his son watches, Franklin risks his life to fly a kite during a storm to prove that lightning is a form of electricity.

1776: In a secret meeting in Philadelphia, Franklin helps Thomas Jefferson write the Declaration of Independence.

1787: After nearly four months of debate, Franklin and other delegates sign the U.S. Constitution.

  1. Which details in the article support the idea that Benjamin Franklin was a skilled inventor?
  2. Based on the article, what are colonists?
  3. How are the documents Franklin helped create an important part of U.S. history?
videos (1)
Skills Sheets (2)
Skills Sheets (2)
Games (1)
TEACHER SUPPORT (1)
Text-to-Speech