Benjamin Franklin was perhaps America's...
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Benjamin Franklin was perhaps America's first self-made man. Benjamin was born the fifteenth child and tenth son of Josiah Franklin and his second wife, Abiah Folger. Josiah was a soap and candle maker. Benjamin had an early propensity for reading and was sent to school in the hopes that he might become a member of the clergy. But because of the expense of such training, Benjamin was pulled from school. He was apprenticed to his father in the candle and soap shop to keep Benjamin from going to sea. But soap and candle making were not to Franklin's interest, so he was apprenticed to his brother, a printer.
This gave young Benjamin the opportunity to read. While the others went off for lunch, he stayed in the empty shop to read. While others attended Sunday worship, he went to the empty shop to read. He read many books, imitating their styles of writing, their methods of argumentation, and absorbing the facts. He obtained a book on arithmetic because that was a subject he was poor in -- he read through it, completing the exercises with ease.
Through all this self-learning, Benjamin became a knowledgeable and erudite man. He eventually became a successful businessman and diplomat, respected in America and Europe.
One of the least of the children became one of the greatest.
This gave young Benjamin the opportunity to read. While the others went off for lunch, he stayed in the empty shop to read. While others attended Sunday worship, he went to the empty shop to read. He read many books, imitating their styles of writing, their methods of argumentation, and absorbing the facts. He obtained a book on arithmetic because that was a subject he was poor in -- he read through it, completing the exercises with ease.
Through all this self-learning, Benjamin became a knowledgeable and erudite man. He eventually became a successful businessman and diplomat, respected in America and Europe.
One of the least of the children became one of the greatest.
