How did Franklin forge his own religious
principles? (Why was that so important?)
Whatever is, is right. Building Franklin's Printing Business (1728) …the club continued almost as long, and was the
best school of philosophy, morality, and politics that then existed in
the province; for our queries, which were read the week preceding their
discussion, put us upon reading with attention upon the several
subjects, that we might speak more to the purpose; and here, too, we
acquired better habits of conversation... (56) Joseph Breintnal, a copyer
of deeds (who would bring Franklin the Quaker account) Thomas Godfrey, a self-taught mathematician, completely useless Nicholas Scull, a surveyor William Parsons, bred a shoemaker, but loves reading, a surveyor-general William Maugridge, a joiner, an exquisite mechanic, a
solid, sensible man. Robert Grace, a young gentleman of some fortune William Coleman, then a merchant's clerk, who became a friend of Franklin's for life: "who had the coolest, dearest head, the best heart, and the exactest morals of almost
any man I ever met with. He became afterwards a merchant of great note,
and one of our provincial judges." How did Franklin make a million dollars printing The Pennsylvania Gazette
(1728)? "Our first
papers made a quite different appearance from any before in
the province; a better type, and better printed; but some spirited
remarks of my writing, on the dispute then going on between Governor
Burnet and the Massachusetts Assembly, struck the principal people,
occasioned the paper and the manager of it to be much talk'd of, and in a few weeks
brought them all to be our subscribers." (56) How did Franklin come out of a business risis in better shape than before it? "Perhaps your father is dissatisfied at the part you
have undertaken in this affair of ours, and is unwilling to advance for
you and me what he would for you alone. If that is the case, tell me,
and I will resign the whole to you, and go about my business." (58) "As soon as he was gone, I recurr'd to my two friends; and
because I would not give an unkind preference to either, I took half of
what each had offered and I wanted of one, and half of the other; paid
off the company's debts, and went on with the business in my own name..." (58) How do you make a million dollars running a printing business?
"I
was on the side of an addition, being persuaded that the first small
sum struck in 1723 had done much good by increasing the trade,
employment, and number of inhabitants in the province..." (58). Paper
currency is favorable to middle class people seeking
to find the capital to go into business for themselves. Paper currency
inflates the value of money so that makes it less expensive for small
businesses to pay back loans. Paper money is bad for people who own a
lot of land or have a lot of money in the bank because inflation erodes
the total value of your assets. "the point was carried by a
majority in the House. My friends there, who conceiv'd
I had been of some service, thought fit to reward me by employing me in
printing the money; a very profitable jobb
and a great help to me." (59) How did Franklin maximize his profit (59)? How did Franklin cultivate
his public reputation? I
sometimes brought home the paper I purchas'd
at the stores thro' the streets on a wheelbarrow. Thus being esteem'd an industrious,
thriving young man, and paying duly for what I bought, the merchants
who imported stationery solicited my custom; others proposed supplying
me with books, and I went on swimming. The Public Library: the mother of all the North American
subscription libraries But....Franklin and Women?The Pennsylvania Gazette
Even
though he had a dead-end job at Keimer’s
printing shop, what did Franklin do to ensure his future success?
Eventually, Keimer finds an opportunity to fire Ben,
was, to have these
raw,
cheap hands form'd
thro' me; and, as soon as I had instructed them, then they
being all articled to him, he should be able to do without me. I went
on, however, very cheerfully,
put his printing-house in order, which
had been in great confusion, and brought his hands by degrees
to mind
their business and to do it better." (51)
and
that from me they learned something daily." (52)
I was warehouseman, and
everything, and, in short, quite a factotum." (52)
Franklin secures a loan from
Meredith's father, orders the equipment, and then comes back to
work 'freelance'
with Keimer-- even after being publicly insulted by him.
Why?
They had me to
their houses, introduced me to their friends, and show'd
me much civility." (53)
Though purblind man
Sees but a part o' the chain, the nearest link,
His eyes not carrying to the equal beam,
That poises all above. – Pope, Essay on Man
(54)
I grew convinc'd that truth,
sincerity and integrity in
dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the
felicity of life; and I form'd
written resolutions, which still remain in my journal book, to practice
them ever while I lived. Revelation
had indeed no weight with me, as such; but I entertain'd an opinion that,
though certain actions might not be bad because they were forbidden by it, or good because it commanded
them, yet probably these actions might be forbidden because they were
bad for us, or commanded because they were beneficial to us... (54)
How was The Junto Club essential to Franklin's business success?
Why was hard work essential to Franklin's business success?
"the
leading men, seeing a newspaper now in the hands of one who could also
handle a pen, thought it convenient to oblige and encourage me." (57)