Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

Franklin bequeathed a share of his estate and his important papers to Temple who published Franklin’s autobiography in 1817. After Temple returned the other papers to Philadelphia, they were rediscovered in 1840. Sally and Richard Bache inherited most of Franklin’s property, including the Philadelphia houses. Benny received Franklin’s printing equipment and books and they helped him to launch a Jeffersonian newspaper. Unlike Franklin, Benny was openly partisan. William was essentially disinherited. Franklin left only a silver tankard to Polly Stevenson, who had been part of his adopted family for so long. He left his wealth to blood relations. However, he additionally established a trust for aspiring tradesmen in Philadelphia and Boston. The trust was to lend money to those artisans seeking to establish a business. Both cities ultimately established institutions of education and learning that bore Franklin’s name.

Isaacson argues that Franklin represented an important aspect of the American character: “the side of pragmatism versus romanticism, of practical benevolence versus moral crusading” (477), religious tolerance versus evangelical faith, and social mobility versus an established elite. As a result, Franklin’s reputation waxed and waned throughout American history depending upon which side of the American character was dominant. At the beginning of the 21st century, intellectuals expressed recognition of his genius and wisdom. In the popular imagination, however, he was more “a figure of fun” (485).

Isaacson weighs Franklin’s flaws and virtues, concluding that the latter outweigh the former. He acknowledges Franklin’s lack of soulful commitment and deep passion in his personal life as well as a spiritual superficiality. Franklin was more “affable than intimate” (487), with his male friendships often broken and the relationship with William, one of the few he loved, severed. Yet he undeniably committed himself to public service through his scientific discoveries, which he did not patent, his advocacy of public institutions, such as libraries, and his governmental roles. He detached Puritan industriousness from religious dogma (490) and was a steadfast supporter of religious tolerance. His willingness to compromise is also an admirable quality and a necessary one in a democracy. Furthermore, Isaacson notes that Franklin adhered to a few high principles, such as his opposition to arbitrary authority and special privileges for the well-born. Isaacson concludes that Franklin was “the most accomplished American of his age and the most influential in inventing the type of society America would become” (492).