Benjamin Franklin was one of the most accomplished people in American history. He was a successful businessman, politician, inventor, author, and scientist. His accomplishments and character exemplify the American spirit. I believe there isn’t another man in history that represents the archetypal American better than Benjamin Franklin.
What is the archetypal American? I believe the traditional American character is defined to be industrious, practical, tolerant, non-judgmental, and middle class. Franklin in his personal life and in his works displays all of these characteristics. During his time in France advocating for the American Revolution he literally adopted this persona.
Franklin’s Industriousness
Benjamin Franklin was a businessman. He didn’t come from an incredibly wealthy family; he was a self-made man. His first success was in the printing/publishing business. He became the most successful printer in Philadelphia. Franklin was also an accomplished author. He published many pamphlets during his life and his most successful book published during his lifetime was Poor Richard’s Almanack. Additionally, Franklin was a prolific inventor. Two of his most notable inventions are the Franklin stove and bifocals. Franklin was even a successful politician. He was constantly involved in the government of his home city Philadelphia. He was the American representative in France and before that in Britain. Franklin even held a seat in the Constitutional Convention. All of these things are just the tip of the iceberg of Franklin’s achievements, but they are enough to give you a sense of how much he accomplished. As you can see, Franklin was very industrious. In his autobiography he states himself that this quality played a major role in his life.
Franklin’s Practicality
Franklin was a practical man. He explains in his autobiography that once he found something that works he kept on doing it. He didn’t let fame lead him astray. In his autobiography he explicitly says that in order to get people to support his projects he would let other people get the credit for starting those projects. The old saying is true: You can accomplish almost anything, if you don’t care who gets the credit. Franklin was pragmatic enough to recognize this and he accomplished many things because of it.
Franklin’s Tolerance
Franklin’s tolerance and non-judgmental attitude is evident in his religious beliefs. Unlike most people of his day who were trinitarian Christians, Franklin was a deist. Deists believe that there is a god who created the universe, but this god is removed from the world. Deists see God as a great architect who creates the universe, then steps back and watches as it runs. They didn’t care what religious group someone belonged to; they thought God was above such squabbles. This was Franklin’s view. He was tolerant of other people and their differing religious. He didn’t posses the religious zeal that separated most religious groups. This outlook became basic to American culture and resulted in the melting pot that America is today.
Franklin’s Promotion of the Middle Class
Franklin wasn’t middle class himself; he was a very rich man. However, he was an enthusiastic supporter of middle class values. The many aphorisms that he provided for Poor Richard’s Almanack all promote middle class values. Poor Richard’s Almanack was read by a large portion of the American population. Franklin tried to impute middle class values to the many Americans who read his almanack. In his autobiography, Franklin also describes that he became successful in the beginning because he stuck to middle class principles like industriousness and practicality.
Conclusion
Franklin was the American man. He embodied the characteristics of the archetypal American. Franklin’s industriousness, practicality, tolerance, non-judgmental attitude, and middle-class values attest to this. He is deserving of this title and I believe he still holds it.
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