Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) was an American polymath, diplomat, scientist, and writer who served as a central architect of the American Enlightenment and the founding of the United States. Born in Boston, he achieved financial independence as a printer and publisher in Philadelphia, establishing the Pennsylvania Gazette and writing the widely read Poor Richard's Almanack. Franklin's scientific inquiries into electricity, marked by his famous kite experiment, earned him international acclaim and membership in the Royal Society. As a statesman, he was the only Founding Father to sign all four key documents of the new nation: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and the U.S. Constitution. His Autobiography, detailing his rise from poverty through self-improvement, remains a foundational text of American literature and cultural identity.