Benjamin Franklin
1706–1790
Boston
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston and learned the printing trade as an apprentice to his brother James. As a teenager, he left Massachusetts and built a career in Philadelphia. He became a printer, writer, experimenter, inventor, and diplomat. His investigations of electricity made him known internationally, while his public projects included a lending library and improvements to civic life. During the American Revolution he helped secure French support for the United States. Franklin's many roles show how reading, practical skills, and sharing ideas can connect science, communication, and public service.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- What problem did this person investigate? Who else helped make progress?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Benjamin Franklin mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Grades 6–8: dig deeper
How might Franklin's experience as a printer have helped his work as a scientist or diplomat?
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: loc.gov ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?