George Washington is frequently referred to as the “Father of Our Country,” but in many ways Benjamin Franklin should bear that honor.  While our first President and General of the Continental Army left a phenomenal legacy through winning America a homeland and presiding over the early turbulent years of the United States, to the modern American he remains distant and unapproachable.  In his portraits, he gazes off into the distance with a vision that transcends our grasp.  He is not our peer, but our Commander.

Franklin, by contrast, pioneered and fashioned the American way of life.  His spirit and words remain an integral part of American society and culture, influencing the ways we approach family, society and even finances.  Through reading his "Autobiography" and "Poor Richard’s Almanac", one understands how commitment to passion and responsible money management lay a foundation for a successful life.

Franklin’s passion for printing took him from Boston to New York and eventually to Philadelphia- all at the age of 17.  He refused to let family or financial hardships prevent him from fulfilling his dreams, even though pursuing them required that he leave his home for better opportunities, scrounge around for shelter and endure hunger.  Young Franklin knew the value of money at a young age and sought to maximize its use.  For instance, as he continually sought self-improvement, he would minimize his food budget so as to have more funds available to purchase books.

Franklin also sought the good of the community by encouraging wise investments from others.  In the 1730s, he conceived the idea of a public library for the benefit of the people of Philadelphia.  With the help of his friends, he enlisted fifty subscribers who committed forty shilling each as well as ten shillings a year for fifty years.  His library thrived and became a model for subsequent American libraries, causing him to remark in his "Autobiography" that “These libraries have improved the general conversation of the Americans, made the common tradesmen and farmers as intelligent as most gentlemen from other countries, and perhaps have contributed in some degree to the stand so generally made throughout the colonies in defense of their privileges.”  Franklin knew the potential of money as a powerful tool and an instrument for creating a valuable legacy and, through his vision, innumerable Americans have enjoyed public libraries.

As his act of public service, Franklin set aside 2,000 pounds in his will to be lent at 5% interest to married, aspiring printers under the age of 25 in Boston and Philadelphia who had previously fulfilled an apprenticeship.  Grateful for the opportunities he enjoyed as a budding printer, he sought to create many for the youth of these cities.  As biographer Walter Isaacson has noted, at the bicentennial of Franklin’s death, the Boston fund was worth $4.5 million, while the Philadelphia one had grown to $2 million.

His father gave him a powerful piece of advice as a boy which Franklin sought to pass along to his son and us- contemporary Americans- as well.  Taken from the book of Proverbs, it reads “Seest thou a man diligent in his calling, he shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men.”  Through a life of hard work, sound fiscal management and a commitment to the public good, Franklin embodied those words first as a printer, a diplomat and, ultimately, as the Father of the American way of life.

For more information:
Benjamin Franklin (PBS)