Chapter VII Summary and Analysis

Benjamin Franklin wrote the Poor Richard's Almanac in 1732, and hardly a household in Philadelphia was without a copy. The Almanac, as the newspaper, was printed to provide information, not gossip or politics.

A new preacher arrived of whom Franklin approved because his sermons supported virtuous values. Ben wrote pamphlets in the preacher's favor and a few articles in the Gazette, but soon Ben and the rest of the community found out that the preacher's sermons were all plagiarized from English scholars. In the end, the preacher left Philadelphia. Franklin learned French, Italian, and Spanish during his lifetime. He says that it would make more sense to start at the beginning and first learn Greek. Knowing Greek would make Latin easier to learn, which makes it easier to learn other Romance languages. Ben visits Boston and sees his brother, James...