BEN FRANKLIN—THE FIRST SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

Ben Franklin was a colossus for his time or any for that matter. Born in 1706 and dieing 84 years later, he is the only Founding Father who is a signatory of all four of the major documents of the founding of the United States: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris, the Treaty of Alliance with France, and the United States Constitution. Franklin was a leading author and printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat.  With his discoveries and theories regarding electricity, he was first to discover and label positive and negative electric charges. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, a carriage odometer, and a musical instrument. He formed both the first public lending library and fire department in America. He was an early proponent of colonial unity and as a political writer and activist, Franklin more than anyone, invented the idea of an American nation.

His father, Josiah Franklin, was a tallow chandler or candle maker. and his schooling ended when he was ten. His research had a great influence in early in meteorology and he experimented with a type of air conditioning.  Ben designed and printed a new unique paper currency for New Jersey based on innovative anti-counterfeiting techniques which he had devised. He establish the Pennsylvania Hospital, which  was the first hospital in what was to become the United States of America.

Benjamin Franklin did much more than all of these things and yet he was a simple charminng man with great humor and charisma. Joyce E. Chaplin, who is currently a Professor of History at Harvard University, has written a great new book called “The First Scientific American “ in which  she describes his life, joys, sorrows  and even day to day events that are so  intimate, you would think you are there with him. This great American shall live with all Americans for eternity.