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= The_Autobiography_of_Benjamin_Franklin =
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Introduction
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'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin' is the traditional name for
the unfinished record of his own life written by Benjamin Franklin
from 1771 to 1790; however, Franklin appears to have called the work
his 'Memoirs'. Although it had a tortuous publication history after
Franklin's death, this work has become one of the most famous and
influential examples of an autobiography ever written.
Franklin's account of his life is divided into four parts, reflecting
the different periods during which he wrote them. There are actual
breaks between the first three parts of the narrative, but Part
Three's narrative continues into Part Four without an authorial break.
The work ends with events in his life from the year 1758 when he was
52 (Franklin would die in 1790 at age 84).
In the "Introduction" of the 1916 publication of the 'Autobiography',
editor F. W. Pine wrote that Franklin's biography provided the "most
remarkable of all the remarkable histories of our self-made men" with
Franklin as the greatest exemplar.
Part One
==========
Part One of the 'Autobiography' is addressed to Franklin's son William
age 41, at that time (1771) Royal Governor of New Jersey. While in
England at the estate of the Bishop of St Asaph in Twyford, the
65-year-old Franklin begins by describing his parents and
grandparents, recounting his childhood, expressing his fondness for
reading, and narrating his apprenticeship to his brother James
Franklin, a Boston printer and publisher of the 'New-England Courant.'
A fan of the 'Spectator' by Joseph Addison and Sir Richard Steele,
Franklin slipped an anonymous paper under the door of his brother's
printing house at night. Not knowing its author, James Franklin
published it in the 'Courant', which encouraged Franklin to publish
more essays under the pen name Silence Dogood, later collected as the
"Silence Dogood" essays. When Franklin finally revealed his
authorship, James Franklin was angered, leading to frequent disputes
between the two, and causing Franklin to eventually abandon the
apprenticeship.
After being jailed by authorities, James Franklin was ordered to cease
publication of the 'Courant,' leading him to contrive to have the
paper continue under his brother Benjamin's name, but fully under his
own control. While signing the discharge of Franklin's apprenticeship,
James Franklin attempted to draft new secret indenture papers that
would secure Franklin's service for another period of time. But when a
fresh disagreement arose between the brothers, Franklin abandoned his
brother, correctly judging that he will not produce the secret
indenture papers. ("It was not fair in me to take this Advantage",
Franklin comments, "and this I therefore reckon one of the first
Errata of my life".) James Franklin, however, made it impossible for
Franklin to get work anywhere else in Boston. Sneaking onto a ship
without his father or brother's knowledge, Franklin headed for New
York City, to work with printer William Bradford, but it turned out
that Bradford was unable to employ him. However, Franklin was
instructed to find Bradford's son Andrew, a Philadelphia printer, who
had recently lost an employee.
Arriving in Philadelphia, Franklin finally found work under printer
Samuel Keimer. The Governor of Pennsylvania, Sir William Keith, took
notice of Franklin and offered to set him up in business for himself.
On Keith's recommendation, Franklin traveled to London, but on arrival
found that Keith had not written the promised letter of recommendation
for him, and that "no one who knew him had the smallest Dependence on
him". Franklin found work there until to Philadelphia as an assistant
to Thomas Denham, a Quaker merchant, only to return to Keimer's shop
after Denham's unexpected death. After quitting over his wages,
Franklin left Keimer to begin a printing partnership with Hugh
Meredith, a former co-worker. The shop is subsidized by Meredith's
father, though most of the work is done by Franklin as Meredith is not
much of worker and is given to drinking.
Their first project was to launch a newspaper, but when Keimer hears
of this, he rushes out a paper of his own, the 'Pennsylvania Gazette,'
a failure, which Franklin buys from Keimer and makes "extremely
profitable". (The 'Saturday Evening Post' traces its lineage to
Franklin's 'Pennsylvania Gazette'.) The partners also received an
appointment as printers for the Pennsylvania assembly. When financial
setbacks led to Meredith's father withdrawing his financial support of
the paper, friends loan Franklin the money he needs to keep it in
operation. The partnership amicably dissolved when Meredith relocated
to North Carolina, and Franklin continued the business in his own
name. In 1730, Franklin married Deborah Read, and after which, with
the help of the Junto, he drafted proposals for Library Company of
Philadelphia. Part One ends with a memo from Franklin's noting that
"The Affairs of the Revolution occasion'd the Interruption".
Part Two
==========
The second part begins with two letters Franklin received in the early
1780s while in Paris, encouraging him to continue the 'Autobiography,'
of which both correspondents have read Part One. (Although Franklin
does not say so, there had been a breach with his son William after
the writing of Part One, since the father had sided with the
Revolutionaries and the son had remained loyal to the British Crown.)
At Passy, a suburb of Paris, Franklin begins Part Two in 1784, giving
a more detailed account of his public library plan. He then discusses
his "bold and arduous Project of arriving at moral Perfection",
listing thirteen virtues he wishes to perfect in himself. He creates a
book with columns for each day of the week, marking his offenses
against each virtue with black spots. Of these virtues, he notices
that Order is the hardest for him to keep. He eventually realizes that
perfection is not to be attained, but his attempt makes him feel
better and happier.
Part Three
============
Beginning in August 1788, when Franklin had returned to Philadelphia,
the author says he will not be able to utilize his papers as much as
he had expected since many were lost in the recent Revolutionary War.
He does, however, quote a couple of his writings from the 1730s that
survived. One is the "Substance of an intended Creed" consisting of
what he then considered to be the "Essentials" of all religions. He
had intended this as a basis for a projected sect but, Franklin says,
did not pursue the project.
In 1732, Franklin first publishes his 'Poor Richard's Almanack', which
becomes very successful. He also continues his profitable newspaper.
In 1734, a preacher named Rev. Samuel Hemphill arrives from County
Tyrone Ireland; Franklin supports him and writes pamphlets on his
behalf. However, someone finds out that Hemphill has been plagiarizing
portions of his sermons from others. However, Franklin rationalizes
this by saying he would rather hear good sermons taken from others
than poor sermons of the man's composition.
Franklin studies languages, reconciles with his brother James, and
loses a four-year-old son to smallpox. Franklin's club, the Junto,
grows and breaks up into subordinate clubs. Franklin becomes Clerk of
the General Assembly in 1736 thus entering politics for the first
time, and the following year becomes Comptroller to the Postmaster
General, which makes it easier to get reports and fulfill
subscriptions for his newspaper. He proposes improvements to the
city's watch and fire prevention regulations.
The famed preacher George Whitefield arrives in 1739, and despite
significant differences in their religious beliefs, Franklin assists
Whitefield by printing his sermons and journals and lodging him in his
house. As Franklin continues to succeed, he provides the capital for
several of his workers to start printing houses of their own in other
colonies. He makes further proposals for the public good, including
some for the defense of Pennsylvania, which cause him to contend with
the pacifist position of the Quakers.
In 1740 he invents the Franklin stove, refusing a patent on the device
because it was for "the good of the people". He proposes an academy,
which opens after money is raised by subscription for it and it
expands so much that a new building has to be constructed for it.
Franklin obtains other governmental positions (city councilman,
alderman, burgess, justice of the peace) and helps negotiate a treaty
with the Indians. After helping Thomas Bond establish a hospital, he
helps pave the streets of Philadelphia and draws up a proposal for
John Fothergill about doing the same in London. In 1753 Franklin
becomes Deputy Postmaster General.
The next year, as war with the French is expected, representatives of
the several colonies, including Franklin, meet with the Indians to
discuss defense; Franklin at this time draws up a proposal for the
union of the colonies, but it is not adopted. General Braddock arrives
with two regiments, and Franklin helps him secure wagons and horses,
but the general refuses to take Ben's warning about danger from
hostile Indians during Braddock's planned march to Frontenac (now
Kingston, Ontario). When Braddock's troops are subsequently attacked,
the general is mortally wounded and his forces abandon their supplies
and flee.
A military is formed on the basis of a proposal by Benjamin Franklin,
and the governor asks him to take command of the northwestern
Frontier. With his son as aide de camp, Franklin heads for Gnadenhut,
raising men for the military and building forts. Returning to
Philadelphia, he is chosen colonel of the regiment; his officers honor
him by personally escorting him out of town. This attention offends
the proprietor of the colony (Thomas Penn, son of William Penn) when
someone writes an account of it in a letter to him, whereupon the
proprietor complains to the government in England about Franklin.
Now the 'Autobiography' discusses "the Rise and Progress of
[Franklin's] Philosophical Reputation." He starts experiments with
electricity and writes letters about them that are published in
England as a book. Franklin's description of his experiments is
translated into French, and Abbé Nollet, who is offended because this
work calls into question his own theory of electricity, publishes his
own book of letters attacking Franklin. Declining to respond on the
grounds that anyone could duplicate and thus verify his experiments,
Franklin sees another French author refute Nollet, and as Franklin's
book is translated into other languages, its views are gradually
accepted and Nollet's are discarded. Franklin is also voted an
honorary member of the Royal Society.
A new governor arrives, but disputes between the assembly and the
governor continue. (Since the colonial governors are bound to fulfill
the instructions issued by the colony's proprietor, there is a
continuing struggle for power between the legislature and the governor
and proprietor.) The assembly is on the verge of sending Franklin to
England to petition the King against the governor and proprietor, but
meanwhile Lord Loudoun arrives on behalf of the English government to
mediate the differences. Franklin nevertheless goes to England
accompanied by his son, after stopping at New York and making an
unsuccessful attempt to be recompensed by Loudoun for his outlay of
funds during his militia service. They arrive in England on July 27,
1757.
Part Four
===========
Written sometime between November 1789 and Franklin's death on April
17, 1790, this section is very brief. After Franklin and his son
arrive in London, the former is counseled by Fothergill on the best
way to advocate his cause on behalf of the colonies. Franklin visits
Lord Grenville, president of the King's Privy Council, who asserts
that the king is the legislator of the colonies. Franklin then meets
the proprietaries (the switch to the plural is Franklin's, so
apparently others besides Thomas Penn are involved). But the
respective sides are far from any kind of agreement. The proprietaries
ask Franklin to write a summary of the colonists' complaints; when he
does so, their solicitor for reasons of personal enmity delays a
response. Over a year later, the proprietaries finally respond to the
assembly, regarding the summary to be a "flimsy Justification of their
Conduct." During this delay the assembly has prevailed on the governor
to pass a taxation act, and Franklin defends the act in English court
so that it can receive royal assent. While the assembly thanks
Franklin, the proprietaries, enraged at the governor, turn him out and
threaten legal action against him; in the last sentence, Franklin
tells us the governor "despis'd the Threats, and they were never put
in Execution".
Authorship and publication history
======================================================================
Title page of the original edition of the autobiography in French.
Despite authoring the constituent parts of his autobiography
separately and over the course of multiple decades, Franklin intended
his composition to stand as a unified piece of work. According to
editors J. A. Leo Lemay and P. M. Zall, Franklin began writing part
one of the autobiography in July or August 1771, which is also when he
most likely authored an outline for the whole work. Over a decade
later in 1782, Franklin was prompted by leading Philadelphia merchant
Abel James to continue writing the autobiography. In a letter to
Franklin that was ultimately included in the autobiography, James
wrote of the work: “If it is not yet continued, I hope thou wilt not
delay it, Life is uncertain as the Preacher tells us, and what will
the World say if kind, humane and benevolent Ben Franklin should leave
his Friends and the World deprived of so pleasing and profitable a
Work, a Work which would be useful and entertaining not only to a few,
but to millions.” Franklin subsequently completed Part Two while
living in France in 1784. Part Three was authored in 1788-1789 after
Franklin returned to the United States, and Part Four was authored by
an ailing Franklin in the final stages of his life.
The 'Autobiography' remained unpublished during Franklin's lifetime.
In 1791, the first edition appeared, in French rather than English, as
'Mémoires de la vie privée de Benjamin Franklin,' published in Paris.
This translation of Part One only was based on a flawed transcript
made of Franklin's manuscript before he had revised it. This French
translation was then retranslated into English in two London
publications of 1793, and one of the London editions served as a basis
for a retranslation into French in 1798 in an edition which also
included a fragment of Part Two.
The first three parts of the 'Autobiography' were first published
together (in English) by Franklin's grandson, William Temple Franklin,
in London in 1818, in Volume 1 of 'Memoirs of the Life and Writings of
Benjamin Franklin.' W. T. Franklin did not include Part Four because
he had previously traded away the original hand-written holograph of
the 'Autobiography' for a copy that contained only the first three
parts. Furthermore, he felt free to make unauthoritative stylistic
revisions to his grandfather's autobiography, and on occasion followed
the translated and retranslated versions mentioned above rather than
Ben Franklin's original text.
W. T. Franklin's text was the standard version of the 'Autobiography'
for half a century, until John Bigelow purchased the original
manuscript in France and in 1868 published the most reliable text that
had yet appeared, including the first English publication of Part
Four. In the 20th century, important editions by Max Ferrand and the
staff of the Huntington Library in San Marino, California ('Benjamin
Franklin's Memoirs: Parallel Text Edition,' 1949) and by Leonard W.
Labaree (1964, as part of the Yale University Press edition of 'The
Papers of Benjamin Franklin') improved on Bigelow's accuracy. In 1981,
J. A. Leo Lemay and P.M. Zall produced 'The Autobiography of Benjamin
Franklin: A Genetic Text,' attempting to show all revisions and
cancellations in the holograph manuscript. This, the most accurate
edition of all so far published, served as a basis for 'Benjamin
Franklin's Autobiography: A Norton Critical Edition' and for the text
of this autobiography printed in the Library of America's edition of
Franklin's 'Writings.'
'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin' also became the first
full-length audiobook in history, which was voiced by actor Michael
Rye and released in 1969.
In 2005, on the 300th anniversary of Franklin's birthday, writer and
economist Mark Skousen published 'The Compleated Autobiography by
Benjamin Franklin'. In it, Skousen compiled and edited Franklin's
later autobiographical papers to complete the 'Autobiography',
covering from 1757 to the end of Franklin's life.
Reactions to the work
======================================================================
In Frank Woodworth Pine's introduction to the 1916 edition by Henry
Holt and Company, Pine wrote that Franklin's 'Autobiography' provided
the "most remarkable of all the remarkable histories of our self-made
men" with Franklin as the greatest exemplar of the "self-made man".
Franklin's 'Autobiography' has received widespread praise, both for
its historical value as a record of an important early American and
for its literary style. It is often considered the first American book
to be taken seriously by Europeans as literature. William Dean Howells
in 1905 asserted that "Franklin's is one of the greatest
autobiographies in literature, and towers over other autobiographies
as Franklin towered over other men." By the 1860s, use of the
'Autobiography' and its depiction of Franklin's industry and
relentless self-improvement had become widespread as an instructive
model for youth. So much so that Mark Twain wrote an essay humorously
castigating Franklin for having "brought affliction to millions of
boys since, whose fathers had read Franklin's pernicious biography".
D. H. Lawrence wrote a notable invective in 1923 against the
"middle-sized, sturdy, snuff-coloured Doctor Franklin," finding fault
with Franklin's attempt at crafting precepts of virtue and perfecting
himself.
Many other readers have found the work's tone conceited, with its
frequent references to the universal esteem Franklin claims to enjoy
in virtually all times and places throughout his life. Franklin's
repeated, highly specific references to his own pursuit of money has
put off many readers.
Literary criticisms
======================================================================
*
*
*
*
*Saunders, Judith P. (2018). “[
https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv4v3226.6
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: The Story of a Successful
Social Animal].” 'American Classics: Evolutionary Perspectives', pp.
1-22. JSTOR.
13 Virtues from Benjamin Franklin Section 9
======================================================================
"Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation."
"Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid
trifling conversation."
"Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your
business have its time."
"Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail
what you resolve."
"Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself;
i.e., waste nothing."
"Industry. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut
off all unnecessary actions."
"Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and,
if you speak, speak accordingly."
"Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that
are your duty."
"Moderation. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you
think they deserve."
"Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or
habitation."
"Tranquility. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or
unavoidable."
"Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to
dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or
reputation."
"Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates."
Manuscripts and editions to 1900
======================================================================
;Manuscripts
* Lost original draft, 1771.
* Copy discovered by Abel James, 1782, given by John Bigelow to the
Pierpont Morgan Library, MA 723.
* Le Veillard Copy, returned by Thomas Jefferson in May 1786 and lost,
Veillard's translation of this text was acquired in 1908 by the
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
* William Short Copy, ordered by Thomas Jefferson in 1786, Jefferson
Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
* William Temple Franklin Copies, purchased by Library of Congress
with Henry Stevens papers in 1882, Franklin Papers, Series II,
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
* Holograph Manuscript purchased from Church by Henry Huntington,
Henry Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
[
https://anthologydev.lib.virginia.edu/work/Franklin/franklin-autobiography
View annotated text and MS page images at 'Literature in Context: An
Open Anthology of Literature'].
;Printed editions (1790-1901)
* Stuber, Henry. "History of the Life and Character of Benjamin
Franklin." 'Universal Asylum and Columbian Magazine.' 4 (May, June
and July 1790), 268-72, 332-39, 4-9.
* Carey, Mathew. "Short sketch of the life of Dr. Franklin."
'American Museum.' 8 (July, November 1790), 12-20, 210-12.
[
https://archive.org/details/americanmuseumor08care Internet Archive]
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'Mémoires de la vie privée de Benjamin Franklin
écrits par lui-méme, et adressés a son fils; suivis d'un précis
historique de sa vie politique, et de plusieurs pièces, relatives à ce
père de la liberté.' Translated by Jacques Gibelin. Paris: F. Buisson
Libraire, 1791.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'Works of the late Doctor Benjamin Franklin:
consisting of his life written by himself: together with Essays,
humorous, moral & literary, chiefly in the manner of the
Spectator: in two volumes.' Edited by Benjamin Vaughan and Richard
Price. London: Printed for G.G.J. and J. Robinson, 1793.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The private life of the late Benjamin
Franklin.' London: J. Parsons, 1793.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The life of Dr. Benjamin Franklin.'
Philadelphia: Benjamin Johnson, 1794.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'Benjamin Franklins kleine Schriften: meist in
der Manier des Zuschauers: nebst seinem Leben.' Weimar: Im Verlage
des Industrie-Comptoirs, 1794.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The life of Doctor Benjamin Franklin.' Edited
by Richard Price. New-London, CN: Charles Holt, 1798.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'Vie de Benjamin Franklin écrite par lui-même;
suivie de ses œvres morales, politiques et littéraires, dont la plus
grande partie n'avoit pas encore été publiée.' Edited and translated
by J. Castera. Paris: F. Buisson, 1798.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Works of the late Dr. Benjamin Franklin;
consisting of his life written by himself: together with essays
humorous, moral, and literary; chiefly in the manner of the
Spectator.' New York: John Tiebout, 1799.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Works of the Late Dr. Benjamin Franklin
Consisting of His Life, Written by Himself: Together with Essays,
Humorous, Moral and Literary, Chiefly in the Manner of the Spectator:
to Which Is Added, Not in Any Other Edition, an Examination Before the
British House of Lords Respecting the Stamp Act.' Philadelphia: Wm.
W. Woodward, 1801.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Complete Works in Philosophy, Politics, and
Morals, of the Late Dr. Benjamin Franklin, Now First Collected and
Arranged: With Memories of His Early Life.' Edited by Marshall.
London: J. Johnson, and Longman, Hurst, Rees and Orme, 1806.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'Memoirs of the life and writings of Benjamin
Franklin. Edited by William Franklin.' Philadelphia: T.S. Manning,
1818.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Life of the Late Dr. Benjamin Franklin.'
New York. Evert Duyckinck, 1813.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'Memoirs of the life and writings of Benjamin
Franklin.' London: Henry Colburn, 1818.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The works of Dr. Benjamin Franklin.'
Philadelphia: B.C. Buzby, 1818.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'Mémoires sur la vie de Benjamin Franklin écrits
par lui-même.' Paris: Jules Renouard, 1828.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin.' Edited by
William Temple Franklin, William Duane, George B. Ellis, and Henry
Stevens. Philadelphia: M'Carty & Davis, 1831.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The works of Benjamin Franklin.' Edited by
Jared Sparks. Boston: Hilliard, Gray, and Company, 1836-1840.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Life of Benjamin Franklin.' Edited by
Jared Sparks. Boston: Tappan and Dennet, 1844.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'Benjamin Franklin: His Autobiography; With a
Narrative of His Public Life and Services.' Edited by Weld, H.
Hastings. New York: Harper and Bros., 1849.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin:
published verbatim from the original manuscript, by his grandson,
William Temple Franklin.' Edited by Jared Sparks. London: Henry G.
Bohn, 1850.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography.' Leipzig:
Alphons Dürr, 1858.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin edited from
his manuscript. Edited by John Bigelow.' Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott
& Co., 1868.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Life of Benjamin Franklin.' Edited by John
Bigelow. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1874.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'Franklin's boyhood: from his autobiography.'
Old South Leaflets, No. 5. Boston: Beacon Press, 1883.
[
https://books.google.com/books?id=wMbfB8UafEQC Google books]
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin' edited
by Henry Morley. Cassell's National Library. London, Paris, New York
& Melbourne: Cassell & Company, 1883
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, and a
sketch of Franklin's life from the point where the autobiography ends,
drawn chiefly from his letters. With notes and a chronological
historical table.' Boston: Houghton, 1886.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Complete Works of Benjamin Franklin:
Including His Private as Well as His Official and Scientific
Correspondence, and Numerous Letters and Documents Now for the First
Time Printed, With Many Others Not Included in any Former Collection:
Also the Unmutilated and Correct Version of his Autobiography.'
Edited by John Bigelow and Henry Bryan Hall. New York and London: G.
P. Putnam's Sons, 1887-1888.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.' New
York and London: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1889.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.
Prepared for use in schools.' Edited by J. W. Abernethy. English
Classic Series. no. 112-113. New York: Charles E. Merrill Co., 1892.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.'
Philadelphia: H. Altemus, 1895.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.' New
York and Cincinnati: American Book Company, 1896.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and a
Sketch of Franklins Life: From the Point Where the Autobiography
Ends.' Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, and Co., 1896.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The life of Benjamin Franklin: Franklin's
autobiography with the continuation by Jared Sparks.' Französische und
Englische Schulbibliothek, 52. Edited by Franz Wüllenweber. Leipzig:
Renger, 1899.
* Franklin, Benjamin. 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: Poor
Richard's Almanac and other papers.' New York: A. L. Burt Co., 1900.
Sources
======================================================================
* J. A. Leo Lemay & P. M. Zall, eds., 'Benjamin Franklin's
Autobiography: A Norton Critical Edition' (NY: Norton, 1986). . (Used
for most information in article, including quotes from 'Autobiography'
text, history of publication, and critical opinions).
* 'Benjamin Franklin: Writings,' ed. J. A. Leo Lemay (NY: Library of
America, 1987). . (Notes on p. 1559 are source for dating of Part
Four.)
External links
======================================================================
*
* [
http://earlyamerica.com/lives/franklin/ Description from
EarlyAmerica.com]
* [
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/franklinautobio/ Spark Notes]
* [
http://www.earlyamerica.com/lives/franklin/ Text of the
'Autobiography' from EarlyAmerica.com]
*
* [
https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/franklin/autobiography.html
Benjamin Franklin's 'Autobiography', Library of Congress]
* , [EBook #148], Editor: Eliot Charles William, Release Date: May 22,
2008, [Last updated: November 10, 2011]
* , [EBook #20203], Editor: Frank Woodworth Pine, Illustrator: E. Boyd
Smith, Note: Bharles. W. Eliot, Release Date:
* , [EBook #18455]
* , [EBook #22016]
License
=========
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Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Autobiography_of_Benjamin_Franklin
