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Description edit
"The first book to belong permanently to literature. It created a man." -- From the Introduction Few men could compare to Benjamin Franklin. Virtually self-taught, he excelled as an athlete, a man of letters, a printer, a scientist, a wit, an inventor, an editor, and a writer, and he... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- Benjamin Franklin: Add a description of this character.
- Poor Richard
- Poor Dick
- James Franklin
- William Franklin
- Priestley
- Strahan
- Keimer
- Ralph
- Collins
- Smyth
- John
- Benjamin
- Braddock
- Osborne
- Keith
- Thomas
- Shirley
- Mr. Whitefield
- Vernon
- Morris
- B. Franklin
- Denny
- Josiah
- William
- Holmes
- Mr. Denham
- Mr. Hamilton
- Burnet
- James
- Dr. Fothergill
- Ben Franklin
Setting & Locations edit
- North-america
- Philadelphia
- New England
- London
- New York
- Great Britain
- Prussia
- America
- Pennsylvania Gazette
- Mankind
- Scotland
- Boston
- Pennsylvania
- United States
- Carolina
- Paris
- Portsmouth
- Newport
- Europe
- Virginia
- Ecton
- Providence
- Madeira
- Maryland
- Burlington
- France
- Newcastle
- Lord Loudoun
Organizations edit
- Quakers: Quakers are members of the Religious Society of Friends, a faith that emerged as a new Christian denomination in England during a period of religious turmoil in the mid-1600's, and is practiced today, in a variety of forms, around the world. To members of this religion, the words "Quaker"and "Friend" mean the same thing.
- Moravians: The Moravian Church or Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine is an evangelical Protestant denomination. Its religious heritage began in 1457 in Kunvald, Bohemia (modern Czech Republic). Its official name is Unitas Fratrum<1> meaning Unity of the Brethren (not to be confused with the small Unity of the Brethren church based in Texas). It is also occasionally referred to as the Bohemian Brethren. It places a high premium on Christian unity, personal piety, missions and music.The church's emblem is the Lamb of God with the flag of victory, surrounded by the Latin inscription: Vicit agnus noster, eum sequamur, or in English: "Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow Him".
First Sentence edit
Franklin's autobiography has been admired both as representative eighteenth-century literature and as a revolutionary document belonging to a new era.
Glossary edit
- Freehold: ownership of land and the buildings on such land (as opposed to a leasehold estate where property reverts to the owner when the lease expires
- Polemic Divinity: religious debate or discussion
- Perspicuity: being clear and lucid
- Pistoles: 1. A gold coin equal to two escudos (2.00 US money) formerly used in Spain.2. Any of several gold coins used in various European countries until the late 19th century
- Nuncupative: Delivered orally to witnesses rather than written
- Disquisition: A formal discourse on a subject, often in writing.
- Trepan: to bore a cylindrical shaft
- Confute: 1. To prove to be wrong or in error; refute decisively.2. Obsolete To confound.
- Captious: 1. Marked by a disposition to find and point out trivial faults: a captious scholar.2. Intended to entrap or confuse, as in an argument: a captious question.
- Inculcate: 1. To impress (something) upon the mind of another by frequent instruction or repetition; instill: inculcating sound principles.2. To teach (others) by frequent instruction or repetition; indoctrinate: inculcate the young with a sense of duty.
- Equitable: just and impartial
- Pernicious: a. Tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly: a pernicious virus.b. Causing great harm; destructive: pernicious rumors.2. Archaic Evil; wicked.
- Heterodoxy: the state of being at variance with established doctrines or beliefs.
- Synod: 1. A council or an assembly of church officials or churches; an ecclesiastical council.2. A council or an assembly.
- Inimical: 1. Injurious or harmful in effect; adverse: habits inimical to good health.2. Unfriendly; hostile: a cold, inimical voice.
- Calumniate: To make maliciously or knowingly false statements
- Emolument: Payment for an office or employment; compensation.
- Proselyte: A new convert to a doctrine or religion
- Merlon: A solid portion between two crenels in a battlement or crenelated (indented or notched) wall
- Extirpate: 1. To pull up by the roots.2. To destroy totally; exterminate.3. To remove by surgery.
- Sophister: a. One skilled in elaborate and devious argumentation.b. A scholar or thinker.
- Palisade: a. A fence of pales(pickets) forming a defense barrier or fortification.b. One of the pales of such a fence.2. palisades A line of lofty steep cliffs, usually along a river
- Gill: Northern Brit dialect half a pint, esp of beer
- Hautboy: Oboe
- Entre Nous: French for between ourselves; in confidence
- Sagacious: Having or showing keen discernment, sound judgment, and farsightedness
- Groat: An English silver coin worth four pence, used from the 14th to the 17th century.
- Capillaire: 1.A sirup prepared from the maiden-hair, formerly supposed to have medicinal properties.2.Any simple sirup flavored with orange flowers.
- Rapacious: 1. Taking by force; plundering.2. Greedy; ravenous. 3. Subsisting on live prey.
- Perruquier: a marker of perukes or wigs
- Dram-drinker: one who habitually drinks small quantities of spirits or beer frequently throughout the day
- Antient: Obsolete spelling of ancient
Series & Lists edit
This is book 93 of 96 in The Art of Manliness' Essential Man’s Library. (authoritative list)
Preceded by The Killer Angels, and followed by The Histories.
This is book 14 of 113 in Book Smart Reading List. (community list)
Preceded by Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and followed by Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley.
Authors & Contributors edit
- Benjamin Franklin (Author)
Other Contributors:
- Ormond Seavey (Editor)
- Leonard Woods Labaree (Editor)
- Ralph Louis Ketcham (Editor)
- Helen C. Boatfield (Editor)
- Helene M. Fineman (Editor)
First Edition edit
Original Language: French
Publisher: Buisson
Country: France
Publication Date: 1791
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 213
Publisher: Buisson
Country: France
Publication Date: 1791
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 213
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 973.30924
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