Author, Inventor, and Influencer

While many think of him with quotes like “a penny saved is a penny earned” or “early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,” I’m quite fond of the response he gave Elizabeth Willing Powel when she asked, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Although it doesn’t seem to resonate with most people these days, Benjamin Franklin’s reply was, “A republic, if you can keep it!” 

Before we dive into some specific things Franklin did to help build the firm foundation that our nation has stood on for nearly two and half centuries, I need to point you to season 7, episode 3 of NCIS where Agent DiNozzo chides the investigator from the Securities and Exchange Commission named “Ben Franklin” by first asking if that really was his name then calling attention to his nice bifocals and referencing a few of the more popular quotes I opened with… SEC investigator Ben sharply replied, “Yes that’s my name, and I’ve heard every imaginable joke. So spare me.” If you’re an NCIS fan, you know DiNozzo most certainly did not spare him!

I remember bits and pieces about Franklin from history classes in school, although I doubt my memories are anywhere close to everything they covered back then. I recall illustrations showing him flying a kite during a thunderstorm, emphasizing his study of the electricity most of us now take for granted. I remember a number of written works he either published himself or made significant contributions to; Poor Richard’s Almanac, the Articles of Confederation, and the Declaration of Independence to name just a few. And I also remember things like insurance, organized fire fighting, the bifocals DiNozzo joked about, and the “Franklin” stove being credited to him. 

One thing I don’t recall hearing much about was him holding positions with significant power or authority. As I dug through a lengthy wikipedia page, I did see roles like “Postmaster”, “Ambassador”, and even “president of Pennsylvania” but nothing that seems to rival the roles Washington held. In fact, I only see brief mentions of his “scant military training” and role in the French and Indian War.

Regardless of title or position, though, by the time of the American Revolution, Franklin had invested seven decades into serving the communities he was part of as well as the Colonies as a whole and building influence with his peers. That influence, even more than any formal title, impacted the other 55 signers of the Declaration, his fellow members of the Constitutional Convention, and each of us who have benefited in any way by these United States of America. With all that in mind, we’ll pick up by looking at some of Franklin’s strengths next time…