The Influence Writings of Benjamin Franklin essays

The Influence Writings of Benjamin Franklin essays The Influence Writings of Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin is one of the best-known figures in American history. His industrious rise to success, his role in this country's struggle for independence, and his investigations into the mysteries of electricity are among his famous accomplishments. Yet, his fame is due not only to these achievements but also to his remarkable ability to communicate his views and ideas effectively. A self-taught writer, Franklin immortalized himself with his book on electricity, his world-famous Autobiography and his role in drafting the Declaration of Independence. While Benjamin Franklin's contributions to many areas of American and international life, including science, politics, and social reform, are in themselves extraordinary; his writings are the key to his widespread and lasting influence. A large part of Benjamin Franklin's reputation rests upon his scientific writings. Eighteenth-century science was not divided into different specialized fields such as physics, geology, biology, and chemistry. Instead, there was only one broad area of study known as natural philosophy. Franklin, a brilliant natural philosopher, wrote about a wide range of scientific subjects, from meteorology to hypnotism. His studies gave scientific credibility to the field of electrostatics (the study of electric charges), influencing renowned scientists such as Count Alessandro Volta and Henry Cavendish and setting the course for all future development in the field (Crane 52). Within Franklin's studies, even individual words have been of great significance. For example, Franklin invented a number of electrical terms, such as "positive charge' and "negative charge," which are still used today. Franklin achieved even greater fame as a scientist through his personal correspondence with scientists across North American and Europe. This sharing of ideas, according to writer Verner Crane, helpe...