Franklin in His Own Time: A Biographical Chronicle of His Life, Drawn from Recollections, Interviews, and Memoirs by Family, Friends, and Associates

Chronology

[xxxiii] Chronology 1706 17 January Benjamin Franklin born in Boston, the youngest son of Josiah Franklin, a tallow-chandler, and Abiah Folger Franklin 1714–1715 Attends Boston Grammar School, but his father withdraws him at the end of the school year because of its expense 1715–1716 Attends George Brownell’s English school 1716–1717 Works with his father making candles and soap 1718–1721 Apprenticed to his brother James in the printing business 1722 April The first of BF’s “Silence Dogood” essays appears in the New-England Courant; the essay, fourteen in number, series would continue through October 12 June James Franklin is imprisoned by the Massachusetts Assembly for implying collusion between pirates and local officials, where he remains until July 7; BF manages the Courant in his absence 1723 24 January James Franklin goes into hiding after provoking the ire of the Massachusetts Assembly by publishing the Courant without its censorship; BF manages the paper in his absence until February 12 25 September Leaves Boston secretly, breaking his indenture 6 October Reaches Philadelphia and finds work with Samuel Keimer as a journeyman printer franklin in his own time [xxxiv] 1724 5 November Sails for London with his friend James Ralph and Quaker merchant Thomas Denham 24 December Reaches London, where he obtains work at Samuel Palmer’s printing office 1725 ca. March Writes A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain Autumn Leaves Palmer’s to work for John Watts, another printer 1726 21 July Sails for Philadelphia with Thomas Denham, for whom he works upon returning to Philadelphia 1727 March–April Suffers pleurisy; his employer Denham is also critically ill June Returns to work for Keimer Autumn Forms Junto with several intelligent and ambitious Philadelphia friends 1728 June Quits Keimer and forms printing partnership with Hugh Meredith 1729 4 February Begins “Busy-Body” essay series in American Weekly Mercury 10 April Publishes A Modest Enquiry into the Nature and Necessity of a Paper Currency 25 September Buys Pennsylvania Gazette from Keimer, transforming it into the finest newspaper in colonial America; later this year or early the next BF’s son William is born out of wedlock to an unknown mother 1730 1 September Forms common-law union with Deborah Read Rogers, who agrees to take William into their household 1731 January Joins Freemasons 1 July Forms the Library Company of Philadelphia, the first subscription library in America [xxxv] 13 September Sponsors business partnership with Thomas Whitemarsh to establish a print shop in South Carolina, the first of several such financial partnerships BF would establish 1732 19 December First publishes Poor Richard’s Almanack, which he would continue annually until 1757 1733 1 July Begins keeping ledger of personal faults on an erasable ivory table-book 1734 24 June Elected grand master of Masons of Pennsylvania 1736 15 October Appointed clerk of Pennsylvania Assembly 1737 5 October Begins serving as postmaster of Philadelphia 1739 2 November George Whitefield arrives in Philadelphia; BF befriends him and agrees to publish his journals and sermons by subscription 1741 Winter Designs Pennsylvania fireplace 16 February Issues General Magazine and Historical Chronicle 1743 14 May Publishes A Proposal for Promoting Useful Knowledge, which is considered the founding document of the American Philosophical Society 31 August Daughter Sarah is born 1744 15 November Publishes An Account of the New Invented Pennsylvania Fire-Places 1745 Begins electrical experiments 1747 25 May Sends first account of electrical experiments to Peter Collinson, who presents it to Royal Society of London December Publishes Plain Truth, which warns of Pennsylvania ’s vulnerability to naval attack 1748 1 January Retires as printer to devote himself to scientific and civic affairs Chronology franklin in his own time [xxxvi] 4 October Elected to Common Council of Philadelphia 1749 Autumn Writes Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania, which establishes the Philadelphia Academy (now University of Pennsylvania) 1751 7 February Founds Pennsylvania Hospital April Publishes Experiments and Observations on Electricity 9 May Elected to Pennsylvania Assembly 1752 June Conducts kite experiment, proving that lightning is electrical in nature; designs lightning rods to protect homes 1753 March Publishes Supplemental Experiments and Observations 26 September Negotiates treaty with Ohio Indians at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, through October 4 30 November Royal Society of London awards BF Copley Medal for his research on electricity 1754 9 May Concerned with French presence on the Pennsylvania frontier, BF creates and publishes the “Join or Die” political cartoon June–July Attends Albany Congress, during which representatives from...