The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

In his own words, Franklin's life as a printer, inventor, scientist, and politician, with an introduction, a timeline and related links.

 

Edited by Charles W. Eliot, L.L.D

Ben Franklin was many things, but perhaps more than anything else he was a politician, and there is no more reason to expect an unbiased autobiography from Franklin than from any other politician. In a 1961 introduction, L. Jesse Lemisch wrote, "Franklin of the Memoirs and of Poor Richard is by no means the whole man. This Franklin is a persona, a conscious literary creation presented for our emulation."

But if you can't find the unvarnished truth here, you can certainly find Franklin. It is Franklin's voice that makes the book worth reading, and his descriptions of the world he knew are not to be missed.

This edition copyright 2001-2006 by Richard Lenat

Browse the chapters HERE