The Other Benjamin Franklin: A Revolutionary Before the Revolution

When Benjamin Franklin signed the Declaration of Independence, he was 70 years old—a Founding Father, yes, but also old enough to be an actual father of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Like all of us, however, Franklin was once young. Unlike most of us, he also pioneered the study of electricity, invented the lightning rod and even a musical instrument, transformed his city with civic innovations, and penned some of the greatest literature of his age. (He also ran away from home, made his share of mistakes—which he called “errata”—and generally lived a fascinating, often humorous life worthy of a book—which he himself wound up writing.) In this lecture, we will trace this life over the decades before the American Revolution, catching a glimpse of the revolutionary personality of our funniest Founding Father.