America’s Printer, Postmaster, Scientist, Entrepreneur, Freemason, Inventor, Musician, Diplomat, Self-Improvement, Self-Made, Senior Citizen Founding Father

And there are probably some more words that would be just as accurate in describing America’s first polymath, Benjamin Franklin.

By using some well-chosen documents and artifacts, the National Archives exhibit “Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World” attempts to lay out some the amazing accomplishments of the man some have called “the first American.”  An early copy of Poor Richards Almanac is a reminder of the fact that, even though unorthodox in his own religious beliefs, Franklin was deeply influenced by growing up in Puritan Boston and the admonishments to live a good life became a part of what he tried live by himself and encourage in others.

An early 19^th century printing press along with early Pennsylvania currency and a bill of lading from the printing company of Franklin & Hall show how Franklin got his start. He was a printer’s apprentice to his brother in Boston, but after a falling out; he left home for good, made his way to Philadelphia and started out on his own at age 17. He had great success as a printer and even franchised the printing business in other cities that would provide income for him for many years.

Franklin the inventor is also on display. Visitors can sit in modern models of his library chair that has a foot-powered fan to keep sitters cool while reading. There is also an early pair of bifocals, another of his inventions, along early electrical equipment like that Franklin would have used pointing to his interest in science. It was his work with electricity that had made him famous in Europe well before the American Revolution.

A glass armonica, similar to the one Franklin developed reveals his musical interest – he also played the violin, guitar and harp.

One panel in the exhibit does deal with Franklin’s intersection with slavery. For most of his adult life he did own slaves and as a printer he had printed both notices selling slaves and anti-slavery tracts by local Quakers. It was at the end of his life that he made a dramatic change and joined and became president of a Pennsylvania abolitionist society.

He was seriously involved in community life started a library, a fire-fighting company, was president of a college and supported the arts among other activities.

Later during the revolution he is assigned to the committee to write the Declaration of Independence, a Rough Journal of the Continental Congress is open to the date showing the appointment of the committee.

Perhaps Franklin’s most significant accomplishment in the political realm was getting the French financial and military support for the American Revolution – a book of the list of materials that the US government was asking for is a part of the exhibit. In today's money the French investment was worth some $13 billion dollars. We wouldn't have broken away from England in the way that did without his efforts.

The last section of the exhibit contains the American, English, Spanish and German first editions of Franklin’s autobiography. His was the first popular rags to riches story and set in motion the very American idea that though hard work and dedication any one can make something out of themselves no matter what their background. We might debate whether or not Franklin deserves “the first American” title, there is no doubt we all owe him a deep debt of gratitude. The exhibit runs through May 6.