What Happened
Young Benjamin Franklin abandons a miserable apprenticeship under his brother to try his luck in Philadelphia with nothing but three rolls of bread. After being stranded in London by a governor’s empty promises, he returns to build a printing empire based on frugality and relentless self-improvement. He famously attempts to reach 'moral perfection' by marking a ledger of his daily sins, eventually shifting his focus from personal virtue to public utility. Between publishing almanacs, he reorganizes the city watch, proposes a colonial union at Albany, and leads a five-hundred-man militia to secure the Pennsylvania frontier during wartime.
Key figures
- Benjamin Franklin
A printer and diplomat obsessed with industry, frugality, and civic improvement.
- Sir William Keith
The governor who promised Franklin letters of credit that did not exist.
- James Franklin
Benjamin's brother and master, whose harsh treatment prompted Benjamin's flight.
- Philadelphia
The growing city where Franklin established his business and civic projects.
What it's really about
- Industry
- Success through constant labor and avoiding the appearance of idleness.
- Civic Duty
- Improving society through small, practical, community-led institutional changes.
Why it's memorable
- Franklin walking through Philadelphia with a roll of bread under each arm.
- A red-lined grid used to track daily lapses in thirteen different virtues.
Where it lands
The narrative breaks off abruptly during Franklin's mission to London to represent the Pennsylvania Assembly against the proprietary governors.
For your book club
- Does Franklin's focus on the appearance of virtue outweigh his desire for actual virtue?
- How did his early failures in London shape his later skepticism of colonial governors?