Named "one of the best books of 2006" by The New York Sun
Described by Carl Van Doren as "a harmonious human multitude," Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American of his time, of perhaps any time. His life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in Enlightenment science, and a major creator of what has come to be known as the American character. Journalist, musician, politician, scientist, humorist, inventor, civic leader, printer, writer, publisher, businessman, founding father, and philosopher, Franklin is a touchstone for America's egalitarianism.
The first volume traces young Franklin's life to his marriage in 1730. It traces the New England religious, political, and cultural contexts, exploring previously unknown influences on his philosophy and writing, and attributing new writings to him. After his move to Philadelphia, made famous in his Autobiography, Franklin became the Water American in London in 1725, where he was welcomed into that city's circle of freethinkers. Upon his return to the colonies, the sociable Franklin created a group of young friends, the Junto, devoted to self-improvement and philanthropy. He also started his own press and began to edit and publish the Pennsylvania Gazette, which became the most popular American paper of its day and the first to consistently feature American news.
Autorentext
J. A. Leo Lemay (1935-2006) was H. F. du Pont Winterthur Professor of English at the University of Delaware. He wrote extensively on early American literature and is the author of numerous books, including The American Dream of Captain John Smith.
Zusammenfassung
Named "e;one of the best books of 2006"e; by The New York SunDescribed by Carl Van Doren as "e;a harmonious human multitude,"e; Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American of his time, of perhaps any time. His life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in Enlightenment science, and a major creator of what has come to be known as the American character. Journalist, musician, politician, scientist, humorist, inventor, civic leader, printer, writer, publisher, businessman, founding father, and philosopher, Franklin is a touchstone for America's egalitarianism.The first volume traces young Franklin's life to his marriage in 1730. It traces the New England religious, political, and cultural contexts, exploring previously unknown influences on his philosophy and writing, and attributing new writings to him. After his move to Philadelphia, made famous in his Autobiography, Franklin became the Water American in London in 1725, where he was welcomed into that city's circle of freethinkers. Upon his return to the colonies, the sociable Franklin created a group of young friends, the Junto, devoted to self-improvement and philanthropy. He also started his own press and began to edit and publish the Pennsylvania Gazette, which became the most popular American paper of its day and the first to consistently feature American news.
Inhalt
List of Illustrations
Preface
PART I. BOSTON: YOUTH, 1706-1723
Prologue: Quandary
1. Boston
2. Child to Adolescent
3. Printer's Devil
4. Massachusetts Controversies, 1716-1723
5. Nathaniel Gardner and the Couranteers
6. James Franklin: America's First Newspaperman
7. Silence Dogood in Context
8. "Saucy and Provoking": Franklin Takes Charge
9. Assessing Franklin as a Youth, to Age Seventeen
PART II. ADRIFT, AGE SEVENTEEN TO TWENTY-FOUR, 1723-1730
10. The Runaway
11. The Water American: London Escapades
12. At Sea, 1726
13. Merchant to Master Printer, 1726-1728
14. The Junto
15. Business, 1728-1730, and "Articles of Religion"
16. The Busy-Body
17. Paper Currency
18. Journalist
19. Assessing Franklin, Age Seventeen to Twenty-four
Appendix: New Attributions
Sources and Documentation
List of Abbreviations
Notes
Index
Acknowledgments