Benjamin Franklin was the most versatile genius of the American founding—printer, scientist, inventor, diplomat, and philosopher who rose from humble Boston origins to become the most famous American in the world. Running away from apprenticeship at 17, Franklin built a printing empire in Philadelphia, then retired at 42 to pursue science and public service.
Franklin's electrical experiments made him internationally famous; his practical inventions—bifocals, the lightning rod, the Franklin stove—improved everyday life. Poor Richard's Almanack spread his wit and wisdom. As Pennsylvania's agent in London, then America's minister to France, Franklin's charm and reputation were invaluable to the revolutionary cause.
The oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention, Franklin embodied the pragmatic, worldly spirit of the American Enlightenment. His Autobiography became a template for American self-improvement. Yet Franklin was also a complex figure—owner of slaves (later an abolitionist), father of an illegitimate son, cultivator of multiple romantic attachments. He died as he lived: curious, productive, and quotable.