Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin-Scientist and Inventor
Benjamin Franklin has influenced American
technology, and indirectly, lifestyles by
using his proficiencies and intelligence to
conduct numerous experiments, arrive at
theories, and produce several inventions.
Franklin's scientific and analytical mind
enabled him to generate many long lasting
achievements which contributed to the
development and refinement of modern
technology.
Few national heroes, including George
Washington and Thomas Jefferson, played a
more significant role in shaping the American
way of life than Franklin. According to
Fowler, "He personified the ideal of the
self-made man, and his rise from obscurity to
eminence exemplified the American dream"
(32). Looby adds, "The study of Franklin's
image for the past two centuries shows that
his legacy had a distinctive place in
American culture" (85). It has been felt by
many people over the years that there was no
United States inventor as great as Franklin
until the time of Thomas A. Edison (Blow 24).
Franklin's words to a friend in Pennsylvania,
Joseph Huey, best explain his attitude not
only toward what he considered his civic
duties, but also his investigations as a
scientist or philosopher. He made some of the
most famous and certainly the most practical
discoveries of his time. "For my own part,
when I am employed in serving others, I do
not look upon myself as conferring favours,
but as paying debts. In my travels, and since
my settlement, I have received much kindness...
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