benjamin franklin essay thesis statement

How Ben Franklin’s ‘Way to Wealth’ Introduced American Capitalism to the World

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” “There are no gains without pains.” “One today is worth two tomorrows.”

Some phrases are so familiar they seem to have always existed. Referenced in every imaginable context, they are part of the air we breathe. These pearls of wisdom and many others were made famous by Benjamin Franklin in his 1758 essay known as The Way to Wealth , first published as a sermon delivered by “Father Abraham” in Poor Richard’s Almanack .

“I’m interested in how ideas reflect but also change economic realities—and how ideas can translate into policies”

Intrigued by the lasting power of Franklin’s treatise on industry and frugality and its influence on capitalism as we know it today, Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Sophus Reinert delves into the history of the essay’s dissemination and impact over the years in “ The Way to Wealth around the World: Benjamin Franklin and the Globalization of American Capitalism,” published in American Historical Review (February 2015).

“I’m interested in how ideas reflect but also change economic realities—and how ideas can translate into policies,” says Reinert, noting that the 2008 economic crisis provoked fresh consideration of the relationship between business and society.

“People aren’t occupying Wall Street any longer, but reflecting on where our ideas of capitalism come from and how they’ve evolved over time is one way of offering some new perspective on contemporary debates about the nature of our economic system,” he says. “It helps us understand our moment in time, which seems quite critical.”

Franklin’s reputation as a living legend no doubt helped facilitate the relatively quick spread of his writings, Reinert says. In addition, The Way to Wealth is a quick, somewhat repetitive read that made it accessible to a broad audience—just the opposite of Adam Smith’s voluminous The Wealth of Nations , which was published in expensive folios and directed at scholars and elites.

Influence broader than thought

Examples of these early editions can be found in Harvard Business School’s Baker Library Historical Collections. Reinert, in conjunction with Carpenter and HBS Knowledge and Library Services, even developed a Way to Wealth website to provide students and scholars with an online, one-stop-shop that includes a database of editions of The Way to Wealth as well as essays and timeline-maps that show the work’s publication history and geographic influence. Recently, the Center for Research Libraries recognized the site with its 2015 Award for Primary Research.

Although The Way to Wealth appeared in a few South American editions, and made its way to Asia by the twentieth century, resonating with everyone from Mao Tse Tung to Bangladeshi bloggers, Reinert says the essay’s initial influence was limited primarily to North America and Europe, tracking closely with the first parts of the world to enter the Industrial Revolution.

“Most of my research focuses on the history of economic policy and how states have implemented different ideas and pursued different strategies in order to gain a competitive edge,” says Reinert. “Franklin could write for the elites—he did so often. But he chose this specific set of guidelines for virtuous economic behavior to influence the lower people, as he called them. Many readers picked up on this and used the text for their own purposes. While we know from individual workers’ autobiographies that Franklin inspired many to lead more economic lives, statesmen could embrace the text because more industrious workers essentially had become another weapon in international competition.”

While Reinert emphasizes that Franklin’s text is obviously not the sole cause for global economic disparity, he remains intrigued by the role played by institutions and ideals of economic behavior in developing economies.

“The fact that people encountered capitalism as an economic system at a different rate than they encountered the ideals of capitalism—and the long-term consequences of that gap—is worth exploring,” he says, adding that we take for granted many of the virtues Franklin holds up, such as a strong work ethic: “How did hard work and industry become the commonsense default rather than sleeping late and eating berries? How did it become normal to work more than what is necessary for survival? This was one of the texts that helped canonize and codify the basic ingredients of capitalism.”

The Way to Wealth had its critics, too—for some, its popular sayings were a little too virtuous and exacting. “The soul of a man is a vast forest, and all Benjamin intended was a neat back garden,” wrote D. H. Lawrence, with Mark Twain chiming in that it was “calculated to inflict suffering upon the rising generation of all subsequent ages.”

Franklin’s mixed feelings about his message

What gets lost is the author’s own mixed feelings about single-minded pursuit of profit and his hopes for a humanitarian society in which wealth and power are in balance. “Happiness is more generally and equally diffus’d among Savages than in our civiliz’d Societies,” he wrote in 1770. “…the Care and Labour of providing for artificial and fashionable Wants, the Sight of so many Rich wallowing in superfluous Plenty, whereby so many are kept poor distress’d by Want. The Insolence of Office, the Snares and Plagues of Law, the Restraints of Custom, all contribute to disgust them with what we call civil Society.”

Our own time, extreme in its own way, can reduce Franklin’s maxims even further, Reinert says. The shorthand “no pain, no gain,” for example, jumps to rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s “Get Rich or Die Tryin’.” Ayn Rand’s John Galt of Atlas Shrugged represents a focalized if selective interpretation of Franklin’s Poor Richard, and continues to stand tall as a heroic, uncompromising paragon of capitalism even as we debate issues of wealth disparity, CEO compensation, tax reform, and raising the minimum wage.

“The role of wealth and wealth creation in society are perennial questions,” says Reinert. “It’s not surprising that we’re discussing them; it’s surprising that we ever stopped at all. Self-reflection and returning to the foundational texts is a healthy part of the evolution of any economic system. How we got where we are seems crucial to the question of where we should go, and what, if anything, needs to be changed.”

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Observations concerning the increase of mankind, 1751, observations concerning the increase of mankind.

Printed in [William Clarke], Observations On the late and present Conduct of the French, with Regard to their Encroachments upon the British Colonies in North America. … To which is added, wrote by another Hand; Observations concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries,&c. Boston: Printed and Sold by S. Kneeland in Queen-Street. 1755. (Yale University Library)

The “immediate occasion” for writing this essay, according to Van Doren, 6 was the British Iron Act of 1750, which prohibited the erection of additional slitting and rolling mills, plating forges, and steel furnaces in the American colonies. 7 While English ironmasters rejoiced in the protection the law afforded them, a few farsighted Britons and most Americans appreciated that the act would curb colonial growth at just the moment when Britain and France were engaged in a climactic struggle for possession of North America. 8

Franklin wrote the essay in 1751. In the following spring he sent a copy to Peter Collinson and Richard Jackson, who were “greatly entertained” by it; 9 and Jackson eventually sent Franklin a full criticism of it. 1 Collinson hoped it would be published: “I don’t find anyone has hit it off so well”; 2 and Dr. John Perkins of Boston, who also received a copy, judged it such an “informing Piece” that it “should be read and well considered by every Englishman who wishes well to his Country.” 3 Not until late in 1754, however, did Franklin consent to its publication: it appeared the next year as an appendix to William Clarke’s Observations . 4 The pamphlet, including Franklin’s essay, was reprinted at once in London; and the essay alone, with some excisions, appeared in the Gentleman’s Magazine for November 1755 and the Scots Magazine for April 1756. 5 In 1760 and 1761 it was printed, also with excisions, as an appendix to London, Dublin, Boston, and Philadelphia editions of Franklin’s Interest of Great Britain Considered; and it was reprinted in part in the London Chronicle , May 20, 1760. Franklin included it in the fourth edition of his Experiments and Observations on Electricity , 1769. Thus Franklin’s ideas on the growth of population entered the current of English economic thought. They had a demonstrable influence on Thomas Malthus, who quoted Franklin approvingly and accepted his surprisingly accurate estimate of the rate of population increase in America, and on Francis Place, who studied these and others of Franklin’s ideas on population. Adam Smith is known to have had two copies of the essay in his library. 6

Observations concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, &c.

1. Tables of the Proportion of Marriages to Births, of Deaths to Births, of Marriages to the Numbers of Inhabitants, &c. form’d on Observaions made upon the Bills of Mortality, Christnings, &c. of populous Cities, will not suit Countries; nor will Tables form’d on Observations made on full settled old Countries, as Europe, suit new Countries, as America.

2. For People increase in Proportion to the Number of Marriages, and that is greater in Proportion to the Ease and Convenience of supporting a Family. When Families can be easily supported, more Persons marry, and earlier in Life.

3. In Cities, where all Trades, Occupations and Offices are full, many delay marrying, till they can see how to bear the Charges of a Family; which Charges are greater in Cities, as Luxury is more common: many live single during Life, and continue Servants to Families, Journeymen to Trades, &c. hence Cities do not by natural Generation supply themselves with Inhabitants; the Deaths are more than the Births.

4. In Countries full settled, the Case must be nearly the same; all Lands being occupied and improved to the Heighth: those who cannot get Land, must Labour for others that have it; when Labourers are plenty, their Wages will be low; by low Wages a Family is supported with Difficulty; this Difficulty deters many from Marriage, who therefore long continue Servants and single. Only as the Cities take Supplies of People from the Country, and thereby make a little more Room in the Country; Marriage is a little more incourag’d there, and the Births exceed the Deaths.

5. Europe is generally full settled with Husbandmen, Manufacturers, &c. and therefore cannot now much increase in People: America is chiefly occupied by Indians, who subsist mostly by Hunting. But as the Hunter, of all Men, requires the greatest Quantity of Land from whence to draw his Subsistence, (the Husbandman subsisting on much less, the Gardner on still less, and the Manufacturer requiring least of all), The Europeans found America as fully settled as it well could be by Hunters; yet these having large Tracks, were easily prevail’d on to part with Portions of Territory to the new Comers, who did not much interfere with the Natives in Hunting, and furnish’d them with many Things they wanted.

6. Land being thus plenty in America, and so cheap as that a labouring Man, that understands Husbandry, can in a short Time save Money enough to purchase a Piece of new Land sufficient for a Plantation, whereon he may subsist a Family; such are not afraid to marry; for if they even look far enough forward to consider how their Children when grown up are to be provided for, they see that more Land is to be had at Rates equally easy, all Circumstances considered.

7. Hence Marriages in America are more general, and more generally early, than in Europe. And if it is reckoned there, that there is but one Marriage per Annum among 100 Persons, perhaps we may here reckon two; and if in Europe they have but 4 Births to a Marriage (many of their Marriages being late) we may here reckon 8, of which if one half grow up, and our Marriages are made, reckoning one with another at 20 Years of Age, our People must at least be doubled every 20 Years.

8. But notwithstanding this Increase, so vast is the Territory of North-America, that it will require many Ages to settle it fully; and till it is fully settled, Labour will never be cheap here, where no Man continues long a Labourer for others, but gets a Plantation of his own, no Man continues long a Journeyman to a Trade, but goes among those new Settlers, and sets up for himself, &c. Hence Labour is no cheaper now, in Pennsylvania, than it was 30 Years ago, tho’ so many Thousand labouring People have been imported.

9. The Danger therefore of these Colonies interfering with their Mother Country in Trades that depend on Labour, Manufactures, &c. is too remote to require the Attention of Great-Britain.

10. But in Proportion to the Increase of the Colonies, a vast Demand is growing for British Manufactures, a glorious Market wholly in the Power of Britain, in which Foreigners cannot interfere, which will increase in a short Time even beyond her Power of supplying, tho’ her whole Trade should be to her Colonies: Therefore Britain should not too much restrain Manufactures in her Colonies. A wise and good Mother will not do it. To distress, is to weaken, and weakening the Children, weakens the whole Family. 7

11. Besides if the Manufactures of Britain (by Reason of the American Demands) should rise too high in Price, Foreigners who can sell cheaper will drive her Merchants out of Foreign Markets; Foreign Manufactures will thereby be encouraged and increased, and consequently foreign Nations, perhaps her Rivals in Power, grow more populous and more powerful; while her own Colonies, kept too low, are unable to assist her, or add to her Strength. 8

12. ’Tis an ill-grounded Opinion that by the Labour of Slaves, America may possibly vie in Cheapness of Manufactures with Britain. The Labour of Slaves can never be so cheap here as the Labour of working Men is in Britain. Any one may compute it. Interest of Money is in the Colonies from 6 to 10 per Cent. Slaves one with another cost £30 Sterling per Head. Reckon then the Interest of the first Purchase of a Slave, the Insurance or Risque on his Life, his Cloathing and Diet, Expences in his Sickness and Loss of Time, Loss by his Neglect of Business (Neglect is natural to the Man who is not to be benefited by his own Care or Diligence), Expence of a Driver to keep him at Work, and his Pilfering from Time to Time, almost every Slave being by Nature 9 a Thief, and compare the whole Amount with the Wages of a Manufacturer of Iron or Wool in England, you will see that Labour is much cheaper there than it ever can be by Negroes here. Why then will Americans purchase Slaves? Because Slaves may be kept as long as a Man pleases, or has Occasion for their Labour; while hired Men are continually leaving their Master (often in the midst of his Business,) and setting up for themselves. § 8.

13. As the Increase of People depends on the Encouragement of Marriages, the following Things must diminish a Nation, viz.

1. The being conquered; for the Conquerors will engross as many Offices, and exact as much Tribute or Profit on the Labour of the conquered, as will maintain them in their new Establishment, and this diminishing the Subsistence of the Natives discourages their Marriages, and so gradually diminishes them, while the Foreigners increase. 2. Loss of Territory. Thus the Britons being driven into Wales, and crowded together in a barren Country insufficient to support such great Numbers, diminished ’till the People bore a Proportion to the Produce, while the Saxons increas’d on their abandoned Lands; ’till the Island became full of English. And were the English now driven into Wales by some foreign Nation, there would in a few Years be no more Englishmen in Britain, than there are now People in Wales. 3. Loss of Trade. Manufactures exported, draw Subsistence from Foreign Countries for Numbers; who are thereby enabled to marry and raise Families. If the Nation be deprived of any Branch of Trade, and no new Employment is found for the People occupy’d in that Branch, it will also be soon deprived of so many People. 4. Loss of Food. Suppose a Nation has a Fishery, which not only employs great Numbers, but makes the Food and Subsistence of the People cheaper; If another Nation becomes Master of the Seas, and prevents the Fishery, the People will diminish in Proportion as the Loss of Employ, and Dearness of Provision, makes it more difficult to subsist a Family. 5. Bad Government and insecure Property. People not only leave such a Country, and settling Abroad incorporate with other Nations, lose their native Language, and become Foreigners; but the Industry of those that remain being discourag’d, the Quantity of Subsistence in the Country is lessen’d, and the Support of a Family becomes more difficult. So heavy Taxes tend to diminish a People. 6. The Introduction of Slaves. The Negroes brought into the English Sugar Islands, have greatly diminish’d the Whites there; the Poor are by this Means depriv’d of Employment, while a few Families acquire vast Estates; which they spend on Foreign Luxuries, and educating their Children in the Habit of those Luxuries; the same Income is needed for the Support of one that might have maintain’d 100. The Whites who have Slaves, not labouring, are enfeebled, and therefore not so generally prolific; the Slaves being work’d too hard, and ill fed, their Constitutions are broken, and the Deaths among them are more than the Births; so that a continual Supply is needed from Africa. The Northern Colonies having few Slaves increase in Whites. Slaves also pejorate the Families that use them; the white Children become proud, disgusted with Labour, and being educated in Idleness, are rendered unfit to get a Living by Industry.

14. Hence the Prince that acquires new Territory, if he finds it vacant, or removes the Natives to give his own People Room; the Legislator that makes effectual Laws for promoting of Trade, increasing Employment, improving Land by more or better Tillage; providing more Food by Fisheries; securing Property, &c. and the Man that invents new Trades, Arts or Manufactures, or new Improvements in Husbandry, may be properly called Fathers of their Nation, as they are the Cause of the Generation of Multitudes, by the Encouragement they afford to Marriage.

15. As to Privileges granted to the married, (such as the Jus trium Liberorum 1 among the Romans), they may hasten the filling of a Country that has been thinned by War or Pestilence, or that has otherwise vacant Territory; but cannot increase a People beyond the Means provided for their Subsistence.

16. Foreign Luxuries and needless Manufactures imported and used in a Nation, do, by the same Reasoning, increase the People of the Nation that furnishes them, and diminish the People of the Nation that uses them. Laws therefore that prevent such Importations, and on the contrary promote the Exportation of Manufactures to be consumed in Foreign Countries, may be called (with Respect to the People that make them) generative Laws , as by increasing Subsistence they encourage Marriage. Such Laws likewise strengthen a Country, doubly, by increasing its own People and diminishing its Neighbours.

17. Some European Nations prudently refuse to consume the Manufactures of East-India. They should likewise forbid them to their Colonies; for the Gain to the Merchant, is not to be compar’d with the Loss by this Means of People to the Nation.

18. Home Luxury in the Great, increases the Nation’s Manufacturers employ’d by it, who are many, and only tends to diminish the Families that indulge in it, who are few. The greater the common fashionable Expence of any Rank of People, the more cautious they are of Marriage. Therefore Luxury should never be suffer’d to become common.

19. The great Increase of Offspring in particular Families, is not always owing to greater Fecundity of Nature, but sometimes to Examples of Industry in the Heads, and industrious Education; by which the Children are enabled to provide better for themselves, and their marrying early, is encouraged from the Prospect of good Subsistence.

20. If there be a Sect therefore, in our Nation, that regard Frugality and Industry as religious Duties, and educate their Children therein, more than others commonly do; such Sect must consequently increase more by natural Generation, than any other Sect in Britain.

21. The Importation of Foreigners into a Country that has as many Inhabitants as the present Employments and Provisions for Subsistence will bear; will be in the End no Increase of People; unless the New Comers have more Industry and Frugality than the Natives, and then they will provide more Subsistence, and increase in the Country; but they will gradually eat the Natives out. Nor is it necessary to bring in Foreigners to fill up any occasional Vacancy in a Country; for such Vacancy (if the Laws are good, § 14, 16) will soon be filled by natural Generation. Who can now find the Vacancy made in Sweden, France or other Warlike Nations, by the Plague of Heroism 40 Years ago; in France, by the Expulsion of the Protestants; in England, by the Settlement of her Colonies; or in Guinea, by 100 Years Exportation of Slaves, that has blacken’d half America? The thinness of Inhabitants in Spain is owing to National Pride and Idleness, and other Causes, rather than to the Expulsion of the Moors, or to the making of new Settlements.

22. There is in short, no Bound to the prolific Nature of Plants or Animals, but what is made by their crowding and interfering with each others Means of Subsistence. Was the Face of the Earth vacant of other Plants, it might be gradually sowed and overspread with one Kind only; as, for Instance, with Fennel; and were it empty of other Inhabitants, it might in a few Ages be replenish’d from one Nation only; as, for Instance, with Englishmen. Thus there are suppos’d to be now upwards of One Million English Souls in North-America, (tho’ ’tis thought scarce 80,000 have been brought over Sea) and yet perhaps there is not one the fewer in Britain, but rather many more, on Account of the Employment the Colonies afford to Manufacturers at Home. This Million doubling, suppose but once in 25 Years, will in another Century be more than the People of England, and the greatest Number of Englishmen will be on this Side the Water. What an Accession of Power to the British Empire by Sea as well as Land! What Increase of Trade and Navigation! What Numbers of Ships and Seamen! We have been here but little more than 100 Years, and yet the Force of our Privateers in the late War, united, was greater, both in Men and Guns, than that of the whole British Navy in Queen Elizabeth’s Time. 2 How important an Affair then to Britain, is the present Treaty for settling the Bounds between her Colonies and the French, 3 and how careful should she be to secure Room enough, since on the Room depends so much the Increase of her People?

23. In fine, A Nation well regulated is like a Polypus; take away a Limb, its Place is soon supply’d; cut it in two, and each deficient Part shall speedily grow out of the Part remaining. 4 Thus if you have Room and Subsistence enough, as you may by dividing, make ten Polypes out of one, you may of one make ten Nations, equally populous and powerful; or rather, increase a Nation ten fold in Numbers and Strength. 5

And since Detachments of English from Britain sent to America, will have their Places at Home so soon supply’d and increase so largely here; why should the Palatine Boors be suffered to swarm into our Settlements, and by herding together establish their Language and Manners to the Exclusion of ours? Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens , who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them, and will never adopt our Language or Customs, any more than they can acquire our Complexion.

24. Which leads me to add one Remark: That the Number of purely white People in the World is proportionably very small. All Africa is black or tawny. Asia chiefly tawny. America (exclusive of the new Comers) wholly so. And in Europe, the Spaniards, Italians, French, Russians and Swedes, are generally of what we call a swarthy Complexion; as are the Germans also, the Saxons only excepted, who with the English, make the principal Body of White People on the Face of the Earth. I could wish their Numbers were increased. And while we are, as I may call it, Scouring our Planet, by clearing America of Woods, and so making this Side of our Globe reflect a brighter Light to the Eyes of Inhabitants in Mars or Venus, why should we in the Sight of Superior Beings, darken its People? why increase the Sons of Africa, by Planting them in America, where we have so fair an Opportunity, by excluding all Blacks and Tawneys, of increasing the lovely White and Red? But perhaps I am partial to the Complexion of my Country, for such Kind of Partiality is natural to Mankind.

6 .  Franklin , p. 216.

7 .  Lawrence H. Gipson, The British Empire before the American Revolution III (Caldwell, Idaho, 1936), 204–32.

8 .  See the letter of Robert Charles, later agent of Pennsylvania in London, to Thomas Lawrence, Feb. 10, 1750/51, which comments on the Iron Act, the union of interests of the northern colonies and Great Britain, and threats of French expansion, and requests a “Calculation of all the present numbers and Strength of the Continent, and … of the French.” PMHB , VII (1883), 232–3.

9 .  See below, pp. 319–20.

1 .  Under date of June 17, 1755, below.

2 .  See below, p. 358.

3 .  See below, p. 358.

4 .  Clarke was a close friend of Perkins, as also of Governor Shirley, who warmly appreciated BF .

5 .  Both magazines named BF as the author, which neither the Boston nor London editions of 1755 did. The last sentence was omitted from sections 13, 16, 21, and 23 in the magazines. The three exclamatory sentences in section 22 and all of section 24 were also omitted.

6 .  Useful discussions of BF ’s essay include: Lewis J. Carey, Franklin’s Economic Views (Garden City, N.Y., 1928), pp. 46–60; Alfred Owen Aldridge, “Franklin as Demographer,” Jour. Econ. Hist. , IX (1949–50), 25–44; Norman E. Himes, “Benjamin Franklin on Population: A Re-examination with Special Reference to the Influence of Franklin on Francis Place,” Econ. Hist. , III (1934–37), 388–98; and Conway Zirkle, “Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Malthus and the United States Census,” Isis , XLVIII (1957), 58–62. Dubourg included Franklin’s essay (from the 1760 London edition) in his translation of John Dickinson’s Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania , 1769; and a MS translation, noting the 1761 London edition, endorsed by Mirabeau, is in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.

7 .  “Therefore … weaken the whole family” is omitted from Exper. and Obser. , 1769 edition.

8 .  The paragraph is omitted from Exper. and Obser. , 1769 edition.

9 .  In Exper. and Obser. , 1769 edition: “from the nature of slavery” in place of “ by Nature .”

1 .  The Lex Papia Poppaea (usually considered with the Lex Julia de maritandis ordinibus) allowed mothers of three children to wear the stola as a mark of distinction, exempted them from tutelage, gave them the right to inherit from their children, and conferred other civil rights. Carey, Franklin’s Economic Views , p. 53 n; Bouvier’s Law Dictionary (1934 edit.), p. 299.

2 .  Compare above, II , 453.

3 .  The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, 1748.

4 .  Compare this reference to the polypus with that in Poor Richard’s Almanack for 1751 (above, p. 93).

5 .  The remainder of this section and all the next were omitted from the reprintings of 1760 and 1761 and from Exper. and Obser. , 1769 edition. Lawrence C. Wroth, An American Bookshelf , 1755 (Phila., 1934), pp. 42–3. But they were remembered and revived by BF ’s political enemies in 1764.

Index Entries

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• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

• Literature Notes
• Critical Opinions of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
• Book Summary
• About The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Part 1: Section 1
• Part 1: Section 2
• Part 1: Section 3
• Part 1: Section 4
• Part 1: Section 5
• Part 1: Section 6
• Part 1: Section 7
• Part 2: Section 8
• Part 2: Section 9
• Part 3: Section 10
• Part 3: Section 11
• Part 3: Section 12
• Part 3: Section 13
• Part 3: Section 14
• Part 3: Section 15
• Part 3: Section 16
• Part 3: Section 17
• Part 4: Section 18
• Critical Essays
• Franklin's Writing Style
• Franklin's Humor
• Franklin and the American Dream
• Franklin and the Spirit of Capitalism
• Essay Questions
• Cite this Literature Note

Critical Essays Critical Opinions of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

No man has shed such copious good influence on America; none added so much new truth to the popular knowledge; none has so skillfully organized its ideas into institutions; none has so powerfully and wisely directed the nation's conduct, and advanced its welfare in so many respects. No man now has so strong a hold on the habits and manners of the people. Franklin comes home to the individual business of practical men in their daily life.

Theodore Parker, Historic Americans, (Boston: H. B. Fuller, 1870).

(The Autobiography ] is letters in business garb . . . addressing itself to the task, which in this country is every man's, of setting free the processes of growth, giving them facility and speed and efficacy.

Woodrow Wilson, Introduction to the Autobiography (New York: Century, 1901 ).

And now I . . . know why I can't stand Benjamin. He tries to take away my wholeness and my dark forest, my freedom. . . . And why, oh why should the snuff-coloured little trap have wanted to take us all in? Why did he do it?

Out of sheer human cussedness in the first place. We do all like to get things inside a barbed-wire corral. Especially our fellow-men. We love to round them up inside the barbed-wire enclosure of FREEDOM, and make 'em work. Benjamin, I will not work. I do not choose to be a free democrat. I am absolutely a servant of my own Holy Ghost.

D. H. Lawrence, Studies in Classic American Literature (New York: Seltzer, 1923).

In fact, the summum bonum of [Franklin's] ethic, the earning of more and more money. . . . is thought of so purely as an end in itself, that from the point of view of the happiness of, or utility to, the single individual, it appears entirely transcendental and absolutely irrational. Man is dominated by the making of money, by acquisition as the ultimate purpose of his life. Economic acquisition is no longer subordinated to man as the means for the satisfaction of his material needs. . . . It expresses a type of feeling which is closely connected with certain religious ideas. If we thus ask, why . . . Benjamin Franklin himself answers in his Autobiography with a quotation from the Bible, which his Calvinistic father drummed into him . . . in his youth: 'Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings" (Prov. xxii. 29). The earning of money within the modern economic order is . . . the result and the expression of virtue and proficiency in a calling; and this virtue and proficiency are . . . the real Alpha and Omega of Franklin's ethic. . . .

Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, (New York: Chas. Scribner's Sons, 1930).

Every sort of natural phenomenon enlisted [Franklin's] interest and called forth some ingenious idea. . . .

It has been said that Franklin was not entrusted with the task of writing the Declaration of Independence for fear he might conceal a joke in the middle of it. The myth holds a profound symbolic truth. In all of Franklin's dealings with men and affairs, genuine, sincere, loyal as he surely was, one feels that he is nevertheless not wholly committed; some thought remains uncommunicated; some penetrating observation is held in reserve.

Carl L. Becker, "Benjamin Franklin," Dictionary of American Biography (New York: Chas. Scribner's Sons, 1931).

What has puzzled men most about Franklin is that he turned so often and so easily from one career to another, seemingly from no inner compulsion; and that he refused to be completely serious, even about the weightiest of human concerns. Hence the theory that only when he confronted nature as a scientist was he wholly committed. . . . In politics . . . he passed on not a system but the empirical method which American leaders have generally adopted.

Verner W. Crane, "Benjamin Franklin and a Rising People," The Library of American Biography (Boston: Little, Brown, 1954).

The Autobiography is also a uniquely American book. After a life like Franklin's had become possible and could be described matter-of-factly, the Declaration of Independence seems understandable and much less revolutionary. . . . There was in America a society which valued the things Franklin could do well: work hard, write effectively, plan improvements, conciliate differences, and conduct public affairs with popular needs and interests in view. His Autobiography records these achievements and values and habits which made them possible, and tells how a remarkable human being used his heritage and created a life on a new, revolutionary model.

Leonard W. Labaree, Ralph L. Ketcham, Helen C. Boatfield, and Helene H. Fineman, Introduction to the Autobiography (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1964).

Previous Franklin and the Spirit of Capitalism

Resources: Discussions and Assignments

Module 4 assignment: document-based questions.

In this assignment, you will practice reading documents and writing thesis statements in this miniature DBQ about Benjamin Franklin.

STEP 1 : First, make a copy of this Google Document  (go to “File > Make a Copy”). If you prefer, you can also download the assignment as a Word Document (File > Download > Microsoft Word). Rename the document with your name in the title so that it reads “NAME Benjamin Franklin Mini DBQ Assignment”, replacing NAME with your name.

STEP 2:  Follow the instructions in the document to answer all of the questions (#1-12). As you read the documents, consider the prompt, “To what extent and in what ways did Benjamin Franklin reflect the conviction that “merit” or “talent” ought to bring rewards?” Use the evidence from the three documents to support the thesis statement and outline that you create for question 12.

• Benjamin Franklin Mini DBQ. Authored by : The Bill of Rights Institute, OpenStax, and contributing authors. Located at : https://cnx.org/contents/[email protected]:YAq6-jB8@6/2-28-%F0%9F%93%9D-Benjamin-Franklin-Mini-DBQ . Project : Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. License : CC BY: Attribution . License Terms : Download for free at http://cnx.org/contents/[email protected]

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Masters Theses

Benjamin franklin and his critics: john adams, mark twain, and david herbert lawrence.

Marzuki Jamil Baki Bin Haji Mohamed Johar , Eastern Illinois University

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

Thesis director.

Parley Ann Boswell

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) provided the paradigm for special qualities in each of his multiple careers which have since been regarded as characteristically American. Franklin's Autobiography is the epitome of Franklin's spirit. The first edition of the Autobiography appeared in French in 1971 and the first edition in English, published in 1793, was actually an anonymous retranslation of the French edition. Franklin's grandson, William Temple Franklin prepared Parts One, Two, and Three in 1818. In John Bigelow's 1868 edition, all four parts appear for the first time in English. In the twentieth century, there have been three major editions, each more complete, more accurate, and fully annotated than the previous one. They were by Max Farrand (1949), Leonard Labaree in 1964; J.A. Leo Lemay and Paul M. Zall's text published in 1981.

In Franklin's Autobiography , we see him as a typical, though great, example of eighteenth century Enlightenment, a Yankee Puritan who could agree with Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), a French Swiss-born philosopher and writer and Francois Marie Arouet Voltaire (1694- l 778 ), a French writer, and who could use the language of Daniel Defoe (1660-1731), an English journalist and novelist and Joseph Addison (1672-1719), an English essayist and poet, with a genial homely resonance. His style, perfectly adapted to the ends to which he devoted it, is lucid, precise, and piquant, revealing both his mental and moral temper. His mind was pragmatic, and though his greatest enthusiasm was reserved for science, he had a mellow temperance for all types of thought. With candor, gumption, and savvy, he relished the various turns in his life and took them easily, understanding and sharing the Gallic spirit while remaining pungently American.

Although Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography has long been regarded one of the chef d'oeuvre of American autobiography, the memoirs has always attracted negative criticism, especially from other American and British writers. Well into the twentieth century, Franklin's account continues to attract the attention of writers who find various faults and shortcomings in both Franklin and his writing.

Three of the most substantial responses written about Franklin and the Autobiography , those of Franklin's contemporary, John Adams, whose letters about Franklin are numerous; Mark Twain's essay "The Late Benjamin Franklin" (1870); and D.H. Lawrence's essay "Benjamin Franklin" in Classic Studies in American Literature (1924) represent the three most thoughtful and negative treatments of Franklin and his writing.

John Adams, who worked with Franklin many times between 1770 and 1790, felt very strong distrust for Franklin. As Robert Middlekauff explains in Benjamin Franklin and His Enemies , Adams "professed to feel only contempt for Franklin" (200). In Mark Twain's essay, Twain blames the philosophical lessons in Franklin's Autobiography for his own troubled childhood, since as a boy he felt that Franklin's lessons for youth ruined "boys who might otherwise be happy" (Middlekauff, xvi). D.H. Lawrence refers to Franklin as "Old Daddy Franklin" and the "First Dummy American," and describes Franklin as "a threat to the imagination and the spirit" (xviii).

The criticisms of Adams, Twain, and Lawrence, instead of undermining from the Autobiography or diminishing its reputation, have helped contemporary scholars, among them especially Franklin scholars such as Alfred Owen Aldridge, Joseph Alberic, Leo Lemay, Paul M. Zall, Carl Van Doren, Francis Jennings, and Robert Middlekauff, to study and understand Franklin's Autobiography.

Recommended Citation

Johar, Marzuki Jamil Baki Bin Haji Mohamed, "Benjamin Franklin and His Critics: John Adams, Mark Twain, and David Herbert Lawrence" (1997). Masters Theses . 1832. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/1832

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Benjamin Franklin’s Influence on Education

This essay about Benjamin Franklin explores his profound impact on the educational landscape of America, highlighting his roles as a self-educated individual, innovator, and statesman. It outlines his contributions from establishing educational institutions like the University of Pennsylvania to promoting accessible learning and advancing scientific knowledge. Franklin’s commitment to lifelong learning, critical thinking, and the democratization of knowledge underscore his enduring legacy as a pivotal figure in fostering enlightenment and intellectual growth.

How it works

Benjamin Franklin, a luminary of American history, cast an enduring shadow over the tapestry of education, imprinting his mark not solely on the birth of a nation, but also on the very essence of learning itself. His multifaceted influence resonates through the corridors of time, weaving a narrative of enlightenment and empowerment that continues to inspire successive generations.

Born amidst the bustling streets of Boston in 1706, Franklin’s formative years brimmed with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Despite receiving only a modicum of formal schooling, he embarked upon a lifelong odyssey of self-improvement, immersing himself in the boundless realms of literature and embracing the pursuit of enlightenment.

Franklin’s autobiography stands as a testament to his unyielding dedication to education, illuminating the transformative potency of lifelong learning.

Franklin’s educational legacy transcends the confines of academia; it permeates every facet of his illustrious journey. As an innovative printer, he recognized the potential of the written word to edify and embolden the masses. Through his prolific publications, including the iconic “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” Franklin not only disseminated practical wisdom but also instilled moral precepts and adages that resonated deeply with readers across colonial America.

Nevertheless, Franklin’s impact on education stretches far beyond the printed page. In 1749, he laid the cornerstone for the Academy and Charitable School of Philadelphia, a pioneering institution that would evolve into the esteemed University of Pennsylvania. Embracing a comprehensive approach to learning, Franklin envisioned a curriculum that melded classical studies with pragmatic training, equipping students with the acumen necessary to thrive in an ever-evolving world.

Moreover, Franklin fervently championed the democratization of knowledge. He ardently believed in the imperative of accessible education for all, regardless of social strata or lineage. His tireless endeavors to enhance public libraries and broaden educational vistas underscored his commitment to nurturing intellectual curiosity and lifelong scholarship among the populace.

Franklin’s educational ethos was as visionary as it was progressive. He extolled the virtues of experiential learning and hands-on exploration, recognizing that true enlightenment springs not from rote memorization but from active immersion in the world. His emphasis on practical skills and critical thinking laid the groundwork for a new epoch of education—one that prioritized the cultivation of well-rounded individuals capable of navigating the labyrinthine complexities of modernity.

Furthermore, Franklin’s diplomatic forays underscored the pivotal role of education in fostering global understanding and concord. As a statesman representing the fledgling United States on the world stage, he endeavored to cultivate cultural exchange and intellectual dialogue as conduits to peace and prosperity. His advocacy for educational initiatives abroad left an indelible imprint on international relations, paving the way for future generations of diplomats and scholars to bridge divides through shared erudition.

In the realm of science and innovation, Franklin’s contributions were equally profound. His groundbreaking experiments with electricity and myriad inventions—from the Franklin stove to bifocals—captivated the imagination of an era, inspiring countless minds to delve into the mysteries of the natural world. Through his pioneering endeavors, Franklin not only advanced human comprehension but also ignited a fervor for scientific inquiry that reverberates through educational curricula to this day.

In summary, Benjamin Franklin’s impact on education is nothing short of monumental. From his humble origins as a self-taught apprentice to his pivotal role in shaping educational institutions and ideals, Franklin’s legacy endures as a beacon of enlightenment and progress. His unwavering faith in the transformative power of education serves as a timeless reminder of the infinite potential inherent within each individual. As we reflect on Franklin’s contributions, we are reminded that education is not merely a journey’s end but a lifelong odyssey of discovery, empowerment, and enlightenment.

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The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Essay

Introduction, what made franklin rise to economic success, traits that franklin identifies as leading to success and prosperity, works cited.

Benjamin Temple Franklin was born on January 6, 1706 in Milk Street, Boston. His father was Josiah Franklin, a tallow chandler who married twice while his mother was Abia Folger. Benjamin was the youngest son of his father’s seventeen children. He stopped going to school at the age of ten, and at the age of twelve, he was already an apprentice to his brother, James. The latter was a printer who published The New England Courant .

Benjamin became a contributor to this magazine, later becoming its nominal editor. However, Benjamin and his brother James later quarreled. This forced Benjamin to escape to New York, and thence to Philadelphia. He arrived in Philadelphia in October 1723, where he became a printer (Franklin 2).

Benjamin was coerced by Governor Keith to move to London after working as a printer for several months. However, he found Keith’s promises empty, and he again worked as a compositor until a merchant known as Denman brought him back to Philadelphia. Denman gave him work in his business.

Following the death of Denman, Franklin returned to his initial printing career. After a short time, he set up his own printing house in which he published The Pennsylvania Gazette . Benjamin contributed many essays to this publication, through which he aired views for local reforms.

In 1732, he began issuing his well-known ’Poor Richard’s Almanac’. This was for the enrichment of which he borrowed his terse speeches of experienced wisdom, which are the foundation of a larger portion of his popular reputation. In 1758, Benjamin stopped writing for the Almanac and printed in it “Father Abraham’s Sermon”. The sermon is considered the most renowned piece of literature produced in Colonial America (Franklin 5).

In the meantime, Benjamin was busy in the public sphere. He established a scheme for an Academy, which was adopted latter and finally developed into the University of Pennsylvania.

He also founded an American Philosophical Society. This was for enabling scientific men to communicate their discoveries to one another. Personally, he had already commenced his research on electrics coupled with other scientific endeavors, which abandoned in the intervals of business and politics until he died. He sold his business in 1748 in order to get time to study.

This was after he had acquired comparative wealth. In politics, he was at ease with being an administrator and as a controversialist (Franklin 7). However, his term in office was characterized by nepotism-related cases of advancing his relatives. His most significant service in home politics was his reforms of the postal system. Nevertheless, his fame as a diplomat rested mainly on his services linked to the dealings of the Colonies with Great Britain and later with France (Masur 3).

Franklin was sent to England in 1757 to explain to the people and the ministry of England the Colonial conditions (Franklin 10). After his return to America, he was vocal in the Paxton affair, an endeavor that saw him lose his seat in the Assembly. Nevertheless, he was re-dispatched to England in 1767 as agent for the colony.

Franklin crossed to France in 1767 where he was warmly received. However, before he returned home in 1775, he had lost his status as postmaster following his role in exposing to Massachusetts the famous letter of Hutchinson and Oliver.

When he arrived at Philadelphia, Franklin was elected a member of the Continental Congress. Two years later, he was sent to France as representative for the United States. In France, he remained the French favorite until 1785. He successfully conducted the affairs of his country such that when he returned home, his reputation can only be compared to that of Washington. He is among the champions of American independence. Benjamin Franklin died on April 17, 1790 (Franklin 13).

Going through the above overview of Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography leaves the reader with the mouth agape. This is at the discovery of the multifaceted nature of the Franklin. Simply put, he was an all-rounded personality. He was at ease in politics as he was in science and writing, not to mention printing.

He was, in deed, a practical factotum. Franklin’s autobiography, thus, can be read as a sort of ‘How-to Succeed’ manual for other Americans of his day and after. Franklin worked from the presupposition that wealth and status are objectives that motivate human beings in suffering.

He added that these evolutionary vital aims could be attained solely in a cultural framework. Franklin expounded his astute utilization of existing environmental circumstances, showing the viability of cooperative tactics in creating both wealth and reputation. Constantly, he underscored the gains of mutual philanthropy and related pro-social behaviors. His self-belief in the efficiency of cooperation is a reflection of his compassionate conviction that self-interest and community interest inescapably overlap (Masur 11).

According to Franklin, he rose to economic success through various strategies. One of the key tactics that Franklin used to become affluent and reputable was through industry and frugality. In deed, Franklin devotes a large portion of his autobiography to show how his eagerness to work hand and reduce expenses in order to achieve financial security helped him climb the economic ladder. Franklin also became successful economically because he underscored the viability of long term planning.

His industrious and thrifty character aided him to become prosperous. This is because, at every stage in his life, Franklin had clearly defined objectives. For instance, he purported to educate himself in order to become a good writer, and own his business. With time, his goals grow in various ways. They contributed largely to his scientific research. His well-defined goals also helped him to practice effective community leadership, to the extent of achieving moral perfection (Masur 13).

In order to become affluent and reputable Franklin also used competence as a strategy. He demonstrated that industry and frugality are not enough. The two traits ought to be propped up by competence for maximum effectiveness. This is evident in Franklin’s high level of skill in various capacities as a press operator, compositor, and supervisor.

He asserted that his competence was instrumental in his quick rise to the acquiring of his own printing house. The exemplary exhibition of this high skill later brought in gainful jobs and boosts demand for his services. Franklin’s competence as a writer also added to his rise to affluence and reputation by ascertaining the recognition of his newspaper and almanac (Masur 16).

In order to be successful, Franklin, in his autobiography offered readers with a number of traits that they ought to possess. One of these is silence. He held that a talkative person might end up benefiting others or oneself. As such, although it is important to remain silent, at times, talking is not altogether bad because it is not possible to determine when it will be valuable to him or her.

Another trait that Franklin identifies as important in order to success is frugality. He believed that frugality enables expense for doing well to others or oneself. Therefore, for one to be successful, it is important to minimize expenses. However, this does not imply that one should not spend even when doing well to others or oneself (Masur 21).

In addition, Franklin identified sincerity as essential in being successful. Nevertheless, he added that this should not be confused with hurtful deceit, which is condemned by this virtue. Franklin also believed that one has to be just in order to succeed. This virtue entails avoiding injuries to others or omitting the gains that are one’s duty. Franklin advocates also advocates for industry as a trait necessary for one to be successful.

This virtue emphasizes the vitality of working hard at a useful endeavor. In addition, moderation is also highlighted as crucial as it stresses the value of cooperation even in hostile conditions. Franklin added that it is not worthy using moral righteousness as a scapegoat for aggression (Masur 25).

In conclusion, although Franklin may have devoted much of his life in amassing wealth, it is also clear that his multifaceted life did not revolve around acquiring wealth alone. It was also dedicated to gaining community reputation and status. This is clearly evidenced in the way he enjoyed contrasting the depiction of his initial runaway predisposition as a runaway boy with the famous man he later became (Masur 29). As such, Franklin tends to suggest that for one to achieve complete success; his or her good traits must be visible to others.

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin . New York: Arc Manor LLC, 2008. Print.

Masur, Louis . The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, with related documents , 2 nd edition. Boston: Bedford, 2003. Print.

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