Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was one of the most

famous American statesmen of all time. Ben Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers, and his face can be seen in paintings, commercials, statues, and many other places throughout the United States. Although to Russians he is probably most famous for being depicted (pictured) on the $100 bill, he made numerous contributions to American society, science, and government. In fact, he was nicknamed “The First American” because he was the one of the first colonists that tried to gather support for colonial unity (cooperation amongst the colonies). But what was Benjamin Franklin's childhood and upbringing like? For one thing, Benjamin Franklin was born into a large family. His father, Josiah Franklin, had 17 kids from his two marriages. Benjamin was his 15th child and his youngest son. The Franklin family converted to Puritanism some 30 years before Benjamin's birth, and this certainly had an effect on his life. In fact, if Josiah Franklin had his way, then Benjamin would have become a preacher, and most likely never would have made so many contributions to American society. On the other hand, Benjamin's Puritan upbringing may have also contributed to his patriotic stance. One of the Puritans' goals was to distance the Anglican Church from the Catholic church and for each congregation to be completely self-governing. This is precisely how Benjamin Franklin thought about the colonies' relationship to Great Britain. Benjamin Franklin was a jack of all trades. He was an inventor, a politician, a writer, the first American editorial cartoonist, a fireman, the first postmaster general of the United States, and more. American cartoonists, especially editorial cartoonists, can trace their lineage to Benjamin Franklin's famous drawing of a snake cut into sections, each labeled with a colony's initials, and the caption: "Join or Die." It was the first American cartoon. Ben Franklin was also the author of “Poor Richard's Almanack” (today spelled “Almanac”). This was a very famous, popular, and surprisingly accurate almanac which many early American farmers used to help grow their crops. Benjamin Franklin's autobiography was published after his death, and is still considered one of the best-written autobiographies of all time. As an inventor, Benjamin Franklin had much success. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove (like a fireplace), the urinary catheter, and much more. He did a lot of work to develop and reform the United States postal service, and he became the first Postmaster General of the United States in 1775. As one of the nation's Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin was also a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Following independence, Benjamin Franklin became a diplomat and worked in both France and Sweden in that capacity. His contributions to improving French-American relations was particularly important.

Copyright©2010 English Republic .ru All rights reserved

Benjamin Franklin's legacy continues to live on. Children learn about his many good deeds and contributions to American society in school, and the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania educates visitors about his life. The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial is located in the Franklin Institute building, and it consists of a huge 30-ton marble statue of Benjamin Franklin sitting in a chair, reminiscent of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

What great Russian inventors can you name? What about famous Russian statesmen?

Statesman = [NOUN] An experienced political leader that many people respect. [George Washington is undoubtedly one of the greatest statesmen in United States history.]

Puritanism = [NOUN] The collection of beliefs of a group of Protestants who were prevalent in the 16th and 17th centuries in England, known for not approving of pleasures such as sex or drinking alcohol. Puritan culture emphasized the need for self-examination and the strict accounting for one’s feelings as well as one’s deeds. [You can still find many core beliefs of Puritanism present in southern United States culture today.]

Congregation = [NOUN] A group of people who go to a religious service; A community of people who attend the same church. [This preacher talks to the congregation as if they were his children.]

Lineage = [NOUN] (1)Direct descent from an ancestor. (2)Derivation (originating) from something. [Mary decided to look at her boyfriend's lineage to determine whether he would provide good genes for their baby. Sarah can trace her lineage to an African tribe in Kenya where her great grandmother was born.]

Almanac = [NOUN] A book that is much like a yearly calendar, giving statistical information on events and phenomena, such as the phases of the moon, times of sunrise and sunset, tides, anniversaries, etc [Almanacs almost always contain information which is questionable or based on guesswork.]

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CONTROVERSY

Despite his Puritan upbringing, Benjamin Franklin had an illegitimate son named William. The birth mother is unknown, but William was raised with Benjamin Franklin's children with his wife Deborah. Interestingly, William and Benjamin later had a falling-out when William joined the Loyalists (people who were loyal to Great Britain during and before the War of Independence). William was also the last Loyalist governor of New Jersey, but when the colonists defeated the British, William would return to England with the last of the redcoats, never to return again. If you were in Benjamin Franklin's position, what would you do concerning William Franklin? Would you raise him in your home with your children from your wife? If your son later joined an opposition party which threatened your way of life, how would you react?

Copyright©2010 English Republic .ru All rights reserved

Falling-out = [NOUN] An angry disagreement and/or the deterioration (worsening of condition) of a relationship. [Sasha and Maksim used to be best friends, but then they had a falling-out over a girl, and now they don't even say hello to each other at school.]

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN QUOTES

“A penny saved is a penny earned.”

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

“Nothing in this world is certain but death and taxes.”

“It takes many good deeds to build a reputation, and only one bad one to ruin it.”

“Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”

to check out more quotes

CONVERSATION

Vadim: Hmmmm......I wonder how much money I made today? I'll just count it to find out....Viktor: Hey Vadim, what are you doing? Counting money?Katya: Wow, that's a lot of Benjamins!Vadim: Well, you know, I've always like Benjamin Franklin more than George Washington.....Alla: Oh no, is Vadim counting his money again?Viktor: Yeah, he's trying to impress us with all those greenbacks. Alla: It's probably counterfeit anyway.Katya: You know Vadim, there's more to life than money. You may like Benjamin Franklin more than George Washington, but the latter was a much better man.Alla: Oh come on, Katya – the fact that Ben Franklin was a bit of a playboy probably makes Vadim like him even more!Vadim: Don't hate the player, hate the game. Ben Franklin was the man.Viktor: Yeah, I read that he used to burn up the clubs!!Kayta: Oh, that's so ridiculous, Viktor. They didn't even have clubs in colonial America.Viktor: What? No clubs? Impossible!Vadim: Katya, stop crushing Viktor's dreams. Hey....what happened to my money?Alla: Benjamin Franklin and I are going shopping at Zara. See ya!

Copyright©2010 English Republic .ru All rights reserved

Counterfeit = [ADJECTIVE] Something that is not certified or legal copies [NOTE: This adjective is used to describe bank notes, documents, or illegal products in a market] [I bought this DVD of THE EXPENDABLES on Ligovsky Prospekt, but once I got home and viewed it, I realized that it was a counterfeit, because the quality of the video was very poor!]

Just Speak!

Written by Bunny Designed by Vadim

Copyright©2010 English Republic .ru All rights reserved