Benjamin Franklin: 3 Reasons He Is Important To American History

Born	January 17th, 1706
Died	April 17th, 1790
Famous Quote	“There never was a good war or a bad peace”
Known For	Intellectual writer, inventor, statesman, scientist, diplomat, political philosopher.
Region of World	United States, 18th century

Of all the Americans who have ever lived, few are as important to the history of America as Benjamin Franklin. Over the course of his 84 year long life Benjamin Franklin would accomplish some of the greatest feats of any founding father of the United States.

There are 3 reasons why Benjamin Franklin is important to American History. First, Benjamin Franklin established the culture of the new United States. Second, Benjamin Franklin helped draft and sign the U.S Declaration of Independence. Third, Benjamin Franklin’s political diplomacy saved the U.S War for Independence.

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Without further ado, here are the 3 reasons Benjamin Franklin is important to American History.

Benjamin Franklin Established The Culture of The New United States

One of the main reasons that Benjamin Franklin is important to American History was the way in which he established the new nation’s culture and ethos.

From an early age Benjamin Franklin set himself apart from the rest of the boys his age for his natural leadership and intellectual curiosity. Further, he would go out of his way to read and experiment at every waking hour.

Benjamin Franklin hated idleness, a character trait that he cultivated over the course of his life. This was common for men in the American colonies during the 17th and 18th century. This industrious mindset of America became known as the Puritan work ethic.

Where Benjamin Franklin differed from his peers however was the separation of religion and ideology from frugality and dedication. For Benjamin Franklin this was a defining characteristic of his formative years.

This work ethic which revolved around industriousness, adventurousness, frugality, creativity, and team work became a hallmark of American culture because of Benjamin Franklin.

Over the course of his life Benjamin Franklin would work nonstop even when he became rich. By the time of his death Benjamin Franklin was an accomplished diplomat, postmaster general, inventor, academic, and author.

Because of this many Americans in the new nation of the United States idealized and attempted to emulate Benjamin Franklin. Citizens across the United States started to work and give back more than ever before.

This trend has continued up through American History. One thing that separated the aristocrats in Britain from the wealthy business owners in the United States was that even though both were rich the American business owners continued to work.

This is one of the main reasons that Benjamin Franklin is important to American History. From his contemporary time up to today he established the American culture and ethos.

Benjamin Franklin Helped Draft and Sign the Declaration of Independence

One of the main reasons Benjamin Franklin is important to American History is his impact upon the drafting and signing of the declaration of independence.

It is one thing to sign the declaration of independence, it is another to have helped write it. A committee of five people was tasked with writing this monumental treatise.

This monumental committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman, and Benjamin Franklin. Two members would go on to become presidents of the new United States while Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston would be foundational in building the political might of the United States.

The fifth member, Benjamin Franklin, is arguably the most important. Even during the time when helped to write the Declaration of Independence he was one of the most well respected academics and intellectuals in the world.

Having Benjamin Franklin help write the Declaration of Independence set a precedent that would ring across the western world. Here one of the most well respected members of the intellectual elite was willing to put their life on the line for independence.

This gave the Declaration of Independence the necessary credibility to stand on its own as a formal document from the new United States declaring its own sovereignty.

As such this remains one of the main reasons that Benjamin Franklin is so important to American history, he helped create the United States.

Benjamin Franklin’s Diplomatic Weight Saved the American Revolutionary War

One of the main reasons that Benjamin Franklin is so important to American history was the fact that he saved the new United States during the war for independence.

Over the course of his life Benjamin Franklin would oppose tyranny by Britain in the American colonies. He would write several essays that would cause the British to mark Benjamin Franklin as a trouble maker.

After signing the Declaration of Independence the new United States sent the now famous Benjamin Franklin over to France to be a diplomat.

Benjamin Franklin was so well regarded by the French people that he had almost a celebrity status while he was in Paris. For example, his home in Paris was donated to him by the influential Jacques Donatien Le Ray de Chaumont who wanted Franklin to push for France to aid the new U.S.

While he was in Paris Benjamin Franklin would work nonstop to help get the United States the aid it needed from France. He would work to convince both the king of France Louis XVI and the commoner of aiding the United States.

Without the aid of France the revolutionary war for independence in America would almost certainly lose over time. The U.S had little in cash reserves, man power, or ammunition.

All of Benjamin Franklin’s efforts paid off in 1783 when the Kingdom of France decided to directly intervene in favor of the United States. Benjamin Franklin had successfully convinced King Louie XVI to enter into a military alliance in 1778 with the United States.

Without Benjamin Franklin it’s doubtful that the revolutionary war would have resulted in the United States. This is one of the main reasons he is so important to the study of American history.

Conclusion

There you have it; 3 reasons why Benjamin Franklin is important to American history.

Benjamin Franklin would die in 1790 having helped to create the United States of America. Today billions of people worldwide are impacted by his influences upon the power dynamic of the world.

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Sincerely,

Nick