"Benjamin Franklin"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Edmund S. Morgan fulfills his purpose of presenting a positive picture of Benjamin Franklin with this autobiography and how, in about 330 pages, the author offers a wealth of material related to Franklin's life, exposing his inner longings and his personal ambitions in a way that many historians cannot, due to their unwillingness to take a personal stance on any historical figure. It analyzes how Morgan obviously admires Benjamin Franklin and hopes to enrich the public's understanding of his life and his accomplishments and how, in doing so, Morgan offers the layperson a scholarly, well-researched, and reputable biography that is, nevertheless, approachable and easy to read.

From the Paper:

"In fact, Morgan acknowledges the legendary status that Franklin has achieved. The author continually refers to his folk hero status and the urban legends that surround Benjamin Franklin. Regarding the kite-flying incidence, Morgan asserts that unlike George Washington cutting down the cherry tree, Benjamin Franklin really did fly the kite, (11). Morgan devotes a vast amount of his book to Franklin's scientific as well as his political and social achievements. Especially in the early chapters of the book, Morgan accounts Franklin's lifelong fascination with the natural world and the world of physics and electricity, for which he became famous. Franklin was a natural scientist, one who was fascinated with the natural world and who was also dedicated to documenting and understanding its workings."

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