The Assembly looked into my entering into the first
part of the engagement, as an essential service to
the Province, since it secured the credit of the paper
money then spread over all the country. They
gave me their thanks in form when I return’d.
But the proprietaries were enraged at Governor Denny
for having pass’d the act, and turn’d
him out with threats of suing him for breach of instructions
which he had given bond to observe. He, however,
having done it at the instance of the General, and
for His Majesty’s service, and having some powerful
interest at court, despis’d the threats and
they were never put in execution. . . . [Unfinished].
Ending, as it does, with the year 1757, the autobiography
leaves important facts un-recorded. It has seemed
advisable, therefore, to detail the chief events in
Franklin’s life, from the beginning, in the
following list:
1706 He is born, in Boston, and baptized in the
Old South Church.
1714 At the age of eight, enters the Grammar School.
1716 Becomes his father’s assistant in the
tallow-chandlery business.
1718 Apprenticed to his brother James, printer.
1721 Writes ballads and peddles them, in printed
form, in the
streets;
contributes, anonymously, to the “New England
Courant,”
and temporarily edits that paper; becomes a
free-thinker,
and a vegetarian.
1723 Breaks his indenture and removes to Philadelphia;
obtaining
employment
in Keimer’s printing-office; abandons vegetarianism.
1724 Is persuaded by Governor Keith to establish
himself independently,
and
goes to London to buy type; works at his trade there,
and
publishes
“Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity,
Pleasure
and Pain.”
1726 Returns to Philadelphia; after serving as
clerk in a dry goods
store,
becomes manager of Keimer’s printing-house.
1727 Founds the Junto, or “Leathern Apron”
Club.
1728 With Hugh Meredith, opens a printing-office.
1729 Becomes proprietor and editor of the “Pennsylvania
Gazette”;
prints,
anonymously, “Nature and Necessity of a Paper
Currency”;
opens
a stationer’s shop.
1730 Marries Rebecca Read.
1731 Founds the Philadelphia Library.
1732 Publishes the first number of “Poor
Richard’s Almanac” under
the
pseudonym of “Richard Saunders.” The
Almanac, which
continued
for twenty-five years to contain his witty,
worldly-wise
sayings, played a very large part in bringing
together
and molding the American character which was at
that
time made up of so many diverse and scattered types.
1738 Begins to study French, Italian, Spanish,
and Latin.
