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Benjamin Franklin (Franklin, Benjamin - Scientist): Books
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Benjamin Franklin (Franklin, Benjamin - Scientist) also shows up in the Retriever categories:
Benjamin Franklin (Franklin, Benjamin - Early) , and more.
Benjamin Franklin (Franklin, Benjamin - Early) , and more.
Franklin married Deborah Read, the daughter of his first landlady, in 1730. She was an uneducated woman who did not share Franklin's interest in books and science. She was devoted to him... and was a cheerful and thrifty wife. Franklin had three children: Francis Folger, who died in childhood of smallpox; Sarah, who married a merchant; and William, who became governor of New Jersey.
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Franklin's horse would have pulled up to the front gate of Stenton for his first documented visit in March 1732. Franklin traveled to Stenton with mathematical wizard Thomas Godfrey, a glazier who had worked on the building of Stenton. The men came to call on James Logan seeking his advice on the sorts of books Logan thought should be acquired for The Library Company of Philadelphia, the Committee of which esteemed Mr. Logan to be "a Gentleman of universal Learning, and the best Judge of Books in these Parts." By all accounts, this particular visit was longer than planned, and was said to have gone on until "late." The Library Company directors finally gave up waiting for Godfrey and Franklin to return to Philadelphia and adjourned to meet the following evening.
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Spending an inordinate amount of time among the stacks at the library he founded in Philadelphia, Franklin was inclined to improve the simple devices he used while enjoying his books. First, he converted a regular library chair into a multi-functional appliance that could be sat on or used as a small ladder. For those books still out of reach, Franklin devised an extendable "arm" with fingers that opened and closed by pull cord.
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The bookish arguments of people who like to see traditional spelling because they have always seen it, Franklin did not bother to discuss. He philosophically viewed the language as a whole. Language was first speech, then writing. He knew enough about etymology and the history of language‑perhaps from talks with James Parsons of the Honest Whigs‑to understand that speech had moved faster than writing, and that in 1768 writing had become a drag on language, stiffening it to the printed usage of dictionaries. Children who knew their English by ear had to master by eye what was almost an ancient dialect so far as its spelling showed. Here, Franklin thought, were a great waste and a great unreason.
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Students might make lists of Franklin's most important contributions to society and then categorize the contributions. Essay writing could follow. Poor Richard's Almanack should be available in public libraries and excerpts can be found on the web sites sln.fi.edu/franklin/rotten.html and library.thinkquest.org/22254/hom.htm. Students may want to read it and speculate on reasons for its popularity. Poor Richard's sayings, including those listed in an appendix to the book, would work well in an Agree? Disagree?
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Possessing an affinity for universal truths and wisdom-guided beliefs, Franklin -- at the age of 26 -- created the character and witty sayings of "Poor Richard" Saunders in his Poor Richard Almanacks. McCormick cleverly sprinkles throughout the margins of his book many of the still-famous sayings and proverbs of Franklin's Poor Richard; things like, "Eat to live, and not live to eat" and "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."
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