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07-04-2010 FOUNDING FATHER- Benjamin Franklin 7-4-2010

Written by Arianha

Wednesday, 21 July 2010 12:07

Each year I do a message from a different Founding Father of the US. This year the message is from Benjamin Franklin. I also do research to find out about their life and accomplishments. Benjamin Franklin's life and accomplishments were amazing so I shared those first and then his message. You can skip this part if you already know about him and his life and just scroll down to his message.

Benjamin Franklin was born the 15th child in a family of 17 children. He is the son of Josiah and Abiah Franklin. He grew up to become a printer, a writer, an inventor, a philosopher, a scientist and a diplomat. He had inexhaustible energy and curiosity.

Be the age of 17 he had created his own self-improvement program which included the following:

1) Temperance- Eat not to dullness, drink not to elevation

2) Silence- Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation

3) Order-Let all things have their place; let each part of your business have it's time

4) Resolution- Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail that which you resolve

5) Frugality- Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; ie. waste nothing

6) Industry - Lost no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions

7) Sincerity- Use no harmful deceit; think innocently and justly; and if you speak, speak accordingly

8) Justice- Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty

9) Moderation- Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve

10) Cleanliness- Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes or habitation

11) Tranquility- Be not disturbed at trifles or by accidents common or unavoidable

Franklin was born in Boston and moved to Philadelphia with barely enough money to purchase small rolls at a bakery when he arrived. In Philadelphia he married and lived most of his adult life and created many inventions to make life easier and better for people. He was offered patents from the Governor for his inventions but chose to give his inventions and information freely to be used by all who wanted them.

He invented the cast iron stove to heat the room and cook food at the same time. Prior fireplaces were smoky and produced little heat to keep the room warm which waranted sitting nearby the smoky fireplace. He invented lightening rods to protect homes, barns, sheds and churches from storm damage. One of his inventions was a glass harmonium, a musical instrument which consisted of 37 glass spheres arranged according to size. The glasses turned when a player pressed the pedal and created sound when moistened fingers touched the moving pieces of glass. This instrument was widely played for 30 years and both Mozart and Beethoven created compositions for the glass harmonium.

Franklin opened the first lending library in Colonel America where members could pay a fee to be able to borrow books and return them. He enjoyed meeting with people of like mind and sharing knowledge. This lead to the creation of the American Philosophical Society which produces over 200 Nobel Prize winners from its membership.

An academy of learning for young men aged 8-16 was also created by Benjamin Franklin which later became the Univeristy of Pennsylvania.

One of Franklin's most intersting creations as a writer was the Poor Richard's Almanac which he successfully published for over 25 years. The almanac was the only book a family owned in those times and contained information about the stars, the phases of the moon, hints of farming and home management and a monthly calendar for the year. Franklin stocked it with wise sayings and proverbs and named its author Richard Saunders. He sold over 10,000 copies a year. It included saying such as, "Industry pays debts, while despair increases them."

Franklin wrote his own epitaph which reads:

The Body of B. Franklin
Printer
(Like the cover of an old book, it's contents torn our and stript of it's lettering and guilding)
Lies Here, Food for Worms, But the Work Shall Not be Lost,
For it will appear once more in a New and More Elegant Edition
Revised and Corrected
By the Author

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN'S MESSAGE

It takes a complete shift from where you are now as individuals and as a country to see the possibilities that lie before you. We no longer need to dump tea into the harbor as an act of tyranny. The options for you might be quite the opposite- get your boats out into the Gulf of Mexico and start actively cleaning the oil and toxins out of the water.
Many have suggested ways to do this. What this country needs now is to get back on track and take care of their own businesses, livelihoods and futures.

A revolution in consciousness is needed in this country. A revolution that gets people motivated to help one another and work together as we the Founding Fathers did. We worked to make life better for everyone and cooperated to deal with any threats that befell us back then. Those could be natural or man made- it didn't matter, all were dealt with as a collective addressing the need of the hour.

I am most inspired by the work you men and women are doing as a collective to find answers and solutions to the threats that have come your way. Your persistence in the face of adversity if commendable.

With my highest regards,
Ben

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON