Who Is Benjamin Franklin? | Learn about the life and accomplishments of Ben Franklin

How much do you know about this famous historical figure from U.S. history? In this video, you will learn about his life growing up and his achievements as a politician and inventor. For instance, did you know he was the 15th of 17 children? And he stopped going to school at 10 years old. He spent the rest of his life learning on his own. Something many people know about him is that he used to write letters about current events that he submitted to a newspaper that his brother owned. He used a pseudonym, or fake name—Mrs. Silence Dogood. Eventually, he ran his own newspaper called the Pennsylvania Gazette. This became one of the most successful newspaper in the 13 colonies! Benjamin Franklin was the only American to sign all four of the major documents involved in the founding of the United States! These are the Declaration of Independence, a Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and the Constitution. He became an ambassador and diplomat to France, and he convinced the French to help America in their quest for independence from Great Britain. Surely you know about Franklin’s electricity experiment involving a kite, a key, and a lightning storm. Did you know he used two specific types of string in order for his experiment to work? One string needed to produce an electric charge while the other would remain dry and not produce an electric charge. Keep watching to find out more interesting facts about Benjamin Franklin. We hope you and your student(s) enjoyed learning about George Washington Carver! If you want even more information, head over to our website and download one of our many free lesson plans, full of activities, worksheets, and more! What you will learn in Who Is Benjamin Franklin?: 0:00 Introduction to Ben Franklin 0:39 Childhood and history of Benjamin Franklin 1:30 Benjamin moves to Philadelphia and runs the Pennsylvania Gazette 2:12 Poor Richard’s Almanack 3:08 Only American to sign all four major documents regarding formation of U.S. 4:02 Ben Franklin’s lightning experiment 5:21 Other inventions and accomplishments 6:31 Review of the facts Thank you for watching and learning with us! We’re constantly releasing new content and videos, so click that “Subscribe” button and you’ll get notified. Find and Follow Us Online: Facebook: Instagram: Pinterest: YouTube: @LearnBright Website: *Teachers and Parents! Did you know? In addition to these great videos, we have also created a library of high-quality and engaging lessons for your elementary aged student(s). Visit us and sign up for a free account, and you’ll instantly have access to thousands of lesson plans, learning materials, teaching instructions, activities, and assignments that your kids will really enjoy! We hope to see you soon! Browse our entire collection of Social Studies lesson plans: #BenjaminFranklin #FoundingFathers