American Polymath

In the spring of 2022, I taught this course about the extraordinary life of Benjamin Franklin.  I called this course “American Polymath” because the term seemed to fit Franklin.  Wikipedia tells us this:

Polymath comes from the Greek πΟλυμαθής, polymathēs, “having learned much,” and describes a person who has expertise in a large number of different subjects, but more importantly, is able to draw on this knowledge to solve problems.

This definition perfectly captures Franklin; he was a brilliant autodidact interested in the practical uses of knowledge.  His practicality showed up in every phase of his life.

Don’t take my word for it: The profile picture for the Wikipedia entry for the term “polymath” is a portrait of Franklin

I read a lot about Franklin and his times as I prepared for this course.  This next image shows you the cover pages of the most important Franklin books I read.  If you are interested in learning more about Franklin, these books would be a great place to start.

If you don't have the time or energy to read all of these, I suggest “Young Ben Franklin” and “A Great Improvisation.”

1. His first adventure in anonymous essay writing was the creation of 14 “Silence Dogood” essays that he wrote in 1722 at the age of 16, while he was indentured to his older brother James.  He soon fled this indenture and wound up in Philadelphia

2. He went to London to buy printing equipment for a Philadelphia printer; when the printer failed to follow through on his commitment to pay for this equipment, Ben spent two years working as a printer in London.  He thought seriously about never returning to America

3. Franklin has a child out of wedlock in 1729 (or 1730).  He never revealed the name of the child’s mother.  He entered into a common-law marriage to Deborah in 1730.

4. He had three children.

   1. His son William, who was his closest companion until they became estranged after Ben returned from London in 1775.  William had an out-of-wedlock son named William Temple Franklin (always called Temple). Temple was estranged from his father.  Temple had two out-of-wedlock children also.

   2. His son Franky, who died of smallpox in 1736 at the age of four

   3. His daughter Sally, whom he ignored in much the same way he ignored his wife Deborah.  Deborah’s son, Benny, accompanied Ben to France in 1776, along with Temple.

5. His religious beliefs can best be defined as “doctrineless moralized Christianity.”  For Ben, doctrine might underpin action – but doctrine was optional and it certainly had to be private

6. He saw great value in community, forming civic organizations, lending libraries, a fire company, the American Philosophical Society, and universities.  He was a Mason, both in Philadelphia and in Paris.

7. He formed militias in Pennsylvania twice – in 1747 and in 1756.  In the latter year, he assumed command of a militia unit and was named colonel of the regiment.

8. He became known in Europe as an inventor before any of his diplomatic endeavors.  One source said that Americans see Ben as a diplomat who dabbled in science; Europeans saw his as a scientist who dabbled in diplomacy.  His international scientific renown contributed to his success as a diplomat.

9. He earned five honorary degrees for his scientific achievements:  1753 (Harvard and Yale), 1756 (William and Mary), 1759 (St. Andrews), and 1762 (Oxford)

10. He was abroad for all but two years between 1757 and 1784.  His wife died in 1774, while Ben was away.  He hadn’t seen her for 10 years at the time of her death.  He did not go home after she had her first stroke in 1770, and did not go home when she died. This chart shows his travels.

    

11. He had a vast and varied public career.  This chart captures the offices he held under English Rule, under Colonial Rule, and under the rule of the United States.

    

12. He tried very hard to keep the United States and England from going to war.  Until 1774, he was one of the strongest advocates for moderation and conciliation between England and its colonies.

13. He was the most important representative of the United States in France throughout the American Revolution.  Every request for aid from France went through Franklin.  Without Franklin, the United States would not have received aid from France.  He was the essential man.

If any of this piques your interest, read one of the books about Franklin that I showed you at the beginning of this essay.  You won’t regret it.