He was born in poverty. 65,438+00 years old dropped out of school and went home to work. Since the age of 65,438+02, I have worked as an apprentice and helper in a printing factory. However, he is diligent and studious. In addition to mastering printing technology, he also widely read literature, history and philosophy, taught himself mathematics and four foreign languages, and devoted himself to writing. All these laid a solid foundation for his achievements in many aspects in his life.
In order to gain a foothold in the society at that time, he set up his own enterprise-printing house. Thanks to his efforts, reputation and management, he not only stood firm in the fierce competition in the printing industry, but also expanded his business to neighboring States and the West Indies, becoming a leader in the printing and publishing industry in North America.
He pays attention to observing natural phenomena and studying scientific problems. Starting from practice, he engaged in scientific experiments and observations, answered the question of "what is electricity" in electricity, called electricity in different states "positive electricity" and "negative electricity", put forward the "first theory" in electricity, and revealed the essence of lightning phenomenon in atmospheric electricity. Known as "the second Prometheus", these epoch-making electrical research achievements have made him a world-famous first-class scientist. He also has research in optics, heat, acoustics, mathematics, oceanography and botany. And there are a series of inventions, such as new stoves, lightning rods, electric wheels, three-wheeled clocks, bifocal glasses, automatic barbecue ovens, glass musical instruments, overhead book readers, new street lamps and so on. Therefore,
After Franklin became famous, he did a lot of work in cultural exchange and social welfare in North American colonies. He has successively organized and established academic, cultural, medical and health, fire protection, public security and other organizations and institutions such as Reading Club, American Philosophy Club, North American Association for the Advancement of Science, newspapers, libraries, bookstores, hospitals, universities, fire brigades and local militia organizations. He also reformed the postal system in North American colonies and established a unified postal system in North American colonies. He was an outstanding social activist and became an influential figure in the North American colonies.
He is not only good at solving special problems in natural science and practical problems in social and political activities, but also often explores many philosophical and social problems. He believes that the reason of social poverty is that workers must feed parasites; He loves freedom and peace, opposes war, hates racial discrimination and slavery, and advocates safeguarding the interests of blacks and Indians. He was one of the most profound bourgeois liberal thinkers at that time.
Franklin lived in the United States and was at a major turning point from a colony to an independent bourgeois country. He took an active part in the revolutionary movement and made great contributions to the victory of the War of Independence and the initial construction of the American national system.
At the Albany Conference attended by the leaders of North American colonies in 1754, he put forward the famous Albany Alliance plan, which was adopted by the conference and became the first person to instill the idea of the grand alliance of the United States of America into the colonial people.
In Pennsylvania, he always fought against the lawlessness of the owners' groups with the colonial people. 1757, he went to London to petition the king on behalf of the state legislature, demanding that the owners pay taxes, which was successful. 1764, he went to London for the second time and asked the British king to protect the interests of the colony, but it was fruitless. Later, the British government strengthened its repression of the North American colonies, which inspired the colonial people to struggle more strongly. Franklin's position turned completely to revolution.
Pennsylvania was originally a colony of owners, and the British King charles ii granted it to william penn on 168 1. Later, william penn's two sons inherited the property. Owners have the privilege of appointing officials, including the governor, vetoing parliamentary bills and being exempt from paying taxes.
1775 In May, he returned to the United States and immediately joined the revolutionary struggle. He served as the chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Security Committee, presided over the local military Committee, and drafted the state constitution with Paine. As a representative of Pennsylvania, he attended the Second Continental Congress and became one of the drafters of the American Declaration of Independence. He served as the US Postal Secretary and made great achievements in organizing postal services during the war. In the case of repeated setbacks in American military operations, as a member of the three-member Committee, he consulted with Washington and decided to mobilize North America 13, which made the War of Independence last for six years.
Under the situation that Britain is strong and the United States is weak, the colonial people have to fight for foreign aid. Franklin was ordered by the continental congress to go to France to win the alliance between the United States and France and fight against Britain. At that time, in a complicated diplomatic environment that was not conducive to the United States, he took advantage of the contradictions of European countries, seized the favorable opportunity, concluded an alliance agreement between the United States and France, and wooed manpower, material resources and financial resources. It ensured the victory of the war of independence. In the later period of the war, he participated in and presided over the negotiations between the United States and Britain, signed an Anglo-American peace treaty in favor of the United States, and successfully completed the arduous wartime diplomatic mission. After the war, he became the first new American ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to France, and stayed in France until 1885.
After returning home, he was elected governor of Pennsylvania for four consecutive years. He is a member of the Constitution Drafting Committee of the American Constitutional Convention. He proposed a bicameral parliamentary system to mediate the differences of opinions among delegates, which became one of the basic national systems in the United States.
1788 no longer holds public office, but still publishes political articles for the government to choose from, and is committed to promoting the abolition of slavery.
17 On April 7, 1990, Franklin died. On the day of his funeral, as many as 20 thousand people mourned for him, fully expressing the condolences of the American people. At the same time, not only the US Congress decided to mourn for him for one month, but also the French National Assembly decided to mourn for him, indicating that he belongs not only to the United States, but also to the whole world.