The americanization of benjamin franklin chapter summary. Benjamin Franklin Study Guide: Success for America, Fame for Franklin 2022-10-11
The americanization of benjamin franklin chapter summary
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The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin is a book written by Gordon S. Wood, which explores the life and legacy of one of America's Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was a key figure in the American Revolution and played a crucial role in shaping the nation's early government and political system.
The book begins by discussing Franklin's early life and how he rose to fame as a scientist, inventor, and writer. Franklin was born in Boston in 1706 and was the fifteenth of seventeen children. He received very little formal education, but he was a voracious reader and self-taught himself many subjects, including science, mathematics, and philosophy. He became known for his many inventions, including the lightning rod and the bifocal glasses, and he also wrote numerous articles and essays on a wide range of topics.
One of the main themes of the book is how Franklin helped to shape the American identity and values. As a member of the Continental Congress, Franklin played a key role in drafting the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He was a strong advocate for democracy and believed in the power of the people to govern themselves. He also believed in the importance of education and the need to provide opportunities for all people to succeed.
Another important aspect of the book is how Franklin's life and legacy have been shaped and interpreted by different people over time. Throughout his life, Franklin was admired for his intelligence, wit, and practicality, and he became a symbol of the American Dream. However, he was also criticized for his financial success and accused of being a self-promoter. In recent years, his legacy has been reevaluated and he has been recognized for his contributions to science and his efforts to promote racial and gender equality.
Overall, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin is a fascinating look at the life and legacy of one of America's most important figures. It provides a detailed and nuanced understanding of Franklin's contributions to the country and how his ideas and values continue to influence American society today.
The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin Summary and Analysis (like SparkNotes)
Franklin knows he can not relive his life so decides that writing a book would be the next best thing. Lesson Summary Ben Franklin is well-known for many accomplishments. Traditional Catholic religion that was based that days on the Puritan values did not meet the expectations of many people who desired to live in the new America that would be free from slavery and any other oppression against women and the representatives of the other races. This was especially true for the young American Benjamin Franklin. Although considered a folk hero, philosopher, inventor, scientist, publisher, and writer, Franklin had a controversial political career who acquired many enemies during his lifetime.
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The Americanization Of Benjamin Franklin Summary
Very interested in the life of a gentlemen, this was a way certain people lived without ever having a job and simply just made a living based off of their elation with others Franklin retired at the age of 45 and became a true gentleman in 1748. Due to the Benjamin Franklin and other founders, for every U. He spent some time in England before the Revolution trying to foster a more equitable relation between the crown and the American colony. Along with George Washington, Franklin brought a cool head and immense prestige to the meeting. In 1748 he retired from business to devote himself to scientific and philosophical pursuits. Franklin begins to discover more about the Englishmen during the critic of the Stamp Act. However, Benjamin Franklin is in no way perfect.
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Detailed Review Summary of The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin by Gordon S. Wood
Merchants, artisans and farmers began to make good money thanks to the large trading ports America had with Europe. Many issues and problems in policy and American society are discussed by Gordon S. I will begin with his childhood. It was when he became a gentleman, it allowed him to analyze the world around him. It is impossible to imagine events without any notion about personalities who may also develop their feature in certain historical contexts.
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The americanization of benjamin franklin Essay Example
In Chapter one, Wood explains Franklin's humble background, where he was the youngest son of a candle and soap maker, by then the lowest of the artisan trades. This deal fell through, however, when John Jay demanded that Britain recognize America's independence right away. This, having into account that his approach is the perfect man and not the perfect woman. This very incident helped America unite and begin to show the world how strong their nation was and how effective they can be when protesting. However in The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, author Gordon S.
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Cambridge US AICE History Chapter childhealthpolicy.vumc.org
His values were developed in the context of the U. Franklin was painted as a moralistic success story for working smart to achieving upward mobility while, on the other hand, accused of being a capitalist stooge who came to represent America's bourgeois complacency, worldly nature, and obsession towards success. Ben Franklin would inherit nothing from his father, a lowly candle and soap maker artisan. Benjamin Franklin influenced much on creating a positive image of U. Franklin is portrayed to have the American industrial values of hard work, enterprise, and innovation.
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The Americanization Of Benjamin Franklin By Wood Summary
Therefore, just like Franklin, individuals should never give up nor settle for less in order to achieve their dreams. When trying to read about history, sometimes it is easy to misinterpret information and not realize certain motives or reasons that are behind historical events. He only knew his mother, a brother and a sister and he did not even know the time or the place of his birth. In one of his last attempts to unite Britain and America, Franklin was given some letters written by an American governor to a British secretary in which the governor was requesting that Britain would take away and shorten some liberties given to the colonists in order to keep their dependency on Great Britain. The consolidation of thismirage of Franklin would await the early nineteenth century, though, when the mask he created in his posthumously published Autobiography proved to be the model the citizens of a striving young democracy needed.
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The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin by Gordon S. Wood
Many people had faith and hope in the leader who helped to build the new progressive worldview for the newly founded country and nation that could be able to become free from colonialists. He gained respected in the 18th century for helping Americans to get free from the colonial rules of Britain, who tried to dictate rules in their western lands. Many problems were typical for American society, including the problem of religion, slavery, the role of women in American society. Furthermore, he became more knowledgeable by learning different languages including French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin, which allowed him to realize the importance of communication and concluded that French was more useful than Latin in his time. As a scientist he made significant contributions to the history of physics and American innovation through his experiments and discoveries with electricity.
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Americanization of Benjamin Book childhealthpolicy.vumc.org
After a couple of weeks of listening to Englishmen bash on the colonists and becoming depressed with his failed efforts, Franklin moved back to Philadelphia and began his process of Americanization. The author succeeded in this, and he reached his objective. Without reading this biography, readers would never have known that Franklin was an adamant imperialist before he became a patriot. This period when Franklin lived was that we can call one of the major and the crucial in U. Not until after the publication of Franklins Autobiography and a few other essays he had wrote id Americans truly appreciate who Benjamin Franklin was. Franklin tried to explain to the English that colonists were still as loyal as ever but his argument was beginning o diminish as America and Britain were becoming more so two separate countries rather than one. Way University Professor and Professor of History Emeritus at Brown University.
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The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin in SearchWorks catalog
He held numerous jobs throughout his lifetime including author, printer, inventor, scientist, postmaster, political theorist, statesman, diplomat, and civic activist. Two Sides of a Coin in Colonial America Wood, Gordon S. It should be noted that Franklin was one of the most active participants of the struggle of American people for independence. Once poor, Franklin managed to earn more than enough money to live comfortably and become very well known throughout the colonies. Throughout the text it can be clearly noticed how much is Franklin focused on the idea of how virtuous a man should be, and on which of this virtues should he work. He condemned slavery and ardently defended the rights of American national minorities.
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The Story of Benjamin Franklin
Not surprising, the British were not receptive. Franklin tried to explain to the English that colonists were still as loyal as ever but his argument was beginning to diminish as America and Britain were becoming more so two separate countries rather than one. Franklin and four others including John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were appointed by Congress to negotiate the peace. Benjamin Franklin has written his autobiography in a unique and unified way, but also in some ways very disjointed making the effectiveness of the theme detracted, which made reading his autobiography even more difficult to understand and follow at times. Rather, Franklin was self-taught and self-made. They really helped the future leader to succeed when he had nothing but his dream.
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