Why Is Ben Franklin Seen by Many Other First American?

Benjamin Franklin -- Writer, Inventor, Founding Father, and First True American

George Washington may be the father of his country, but Ben Franklin is the first true American. While George Washington was born a wealthy and propertied Virginia landowner in the European aristocratic tradition, and made his fame as a highborn and commanding military general for the crown during the French and Indian Wars, Benjamin Franklin was born to a poor Boston tradesman. He had no name, title, or fortune to fall back on. Benjamin Franklin worked his way up in the world through his hard work and dedication alone.

Franklin became wealthy in his later life. He made money from his thrift, innate intelligence, and his wit. He was apprenticed as a young man, but ran away to sea and to work his own way, on his own terms at the printing trade. Even in his own early life, Franklin demanded his liberty, life, and his right to pursue his own form of happiness and secure his own property. He embodied the virtues of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and made this virtues and principles profitable, and useful.

Franklin made his money through deploying and exploiting his personal freedom and independence -- but also by benefiting from the American colonies' freedom of the press and speech. Without freedom of speech and movement, there would have been no Franklin. Also, without a common reading public, Franklin would never have prospered. Franklin's publication Poor Richard's Almanac catered to the common farmer, not the gentleman farmer, and talked about humble things like the weather and seasonal news. It advocated thrift and clean living, such as 'early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.'

The almanac's use of aphorisms, or short moral teaching tools that are funny, witty, and to the point -- ideal reading for busy people is a very American style of prose. Also, the almanac's stress upon self-improvement and self-reforming regardless of one's class is very 'American' as is Franklin's constant reinvention of himself, over the many phases of his long, later political career, from diplomat, to inventor, to Founding Father. Franklin was a businessman, but he also believed in the need for public service and to make one's self and life useful to the public.

Franklin was also an extremely funny and practical man -- he suggested, famously, that the turkey be America's national bird, because it was both tasty as well as attractive! Lest one be tempted to laugh at Franklin's humor, remember that this practicality was also deployed into his invention of bifocals and his channeling of electricity. He invented things, always using a 'what works' and 'what is necessary' approach, rather than focusing on abstract theory.

Franklin's intense practicality was also coupled with prodigious literary talents that spanned beyond the publication of his almanac. Franklin wrote My Autobiography, attempting to use his own personal life's wisdom, experiences and thoughts to teach others. Through personal experiences and examples, and short, readable sentences and vibrant prose, Franklin attempted to teach others by using the practical examples of his own fortunes and youthful mistakes how to lead a better life. He said wrote his autobiography to be read by his children, hoping that his life would act as a teaching manual.