Episode 268: BFW Team Favorites: Young Benjamin Franklin

by Holly WhiteDecember 10, 2019

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What in the first 40 years of his life made Benjamin Franklin the genius he became?

Benjamin Franklin serves as a great window on to the early American past because as a man of “variety” he pursued many interests: literature, poetry, science, business, philosophy, philanthropy, and politics.

But one aspect of Franklin’s life has gone largely unstudied: his childhood and early life.

Nick Bunker, author of Young Benjamin Franklin: The Birth of Ingenuity, joins us to explore Benjamin Franklin’s early life and how family, childhood, and youthful experiences shaped him as a scientist and diplomat.

This episode originally posted as Episode 207.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Ben Franklin’s World is a production of the Omohundro Institute.

Episode Summary

Nick Bunker, author of Young Benjamin Franklin: The Birth of Ingenuity, joins us to explore Benjamin Franklin’s early life and how family, childhood, and youthful experiences combined to shape the great scientist and diplomat of the 18th century.

During our investigation, Nick reveals the English roots of the Franklin Family and why those roots were important for Benjamin Franklin; Franklin’s boyhood and education in Boston; And, details about Franklin’s printing business and how he was able to grow it so he could retire at the age of 42.

What You’ll Discover

The mobility of Benjamin Franklin
Why focus on Franklin as a young man
Benjamin Franklin’s English ancestors
English historical sources about Franklin and his family
Josiah Franklin’s training as a silk dyer
Josiah Franklin’s decision to migrate to Boston
Josiah Franklin starts a new career
Benjamin Franklin’s childhood in Boston
Franklin’s formal education
Franklin’s apprenticeship as a printer
Why Franklin ran away to Philadelphia
Franklin’s printing business
Franklin’s first trip to London
Franklin’s interest in science
The Junto
Benjamin Franklin’s principles of faith
Benjamin Franklin’s legacy

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Time Warp Question

In your opinion, what might have happened if Franklin had not traveled to London in 1724? Do you think he would have established the successful printing business did if he had not had the training and experiences he gained from the various London print shops he worked in?