Benjamin Franklin

1706 – 1790

Benjamin Franklin was an American polymath, statesman, and Founding Father who helped draft the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and served as the country's first postmaster general. As a writer, scientist, and inventor he conducted pioneering research in electricity, invented bifocals and the lightning rod, and founded Philadelphia's first public library and fire department. Late in life he became a leading abolitionist, freeing his own enslaved workers and petitioning the new Congress to end the slave trade.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM