Franklin: A Sketch

Born the youngest of ten in Boston, Benjamin Franklin showed an insatiable appetite for reading from the moment he learned to recognize letters. After a brief stint helping his father’s tallow‑chandlery, he was apprenticed to his brother James, who ran one of the colonies’ first newspapers. There, the bright‑minded teen began slipping his own essays into the press, quickly discovering a talent for clear, engaging prose that set him apart from his peers.

At seventeen, restless and eager for independence, Franklin left New England for Philadelphia, where he secured a job with a modest Jewish printer named Keimer. His quick wit and inventive spirit soon made him the shop’s indispensable hand, catching the eye of Governor William Keith, who offered a risky but tempting plan to launch Franklin’s own venture in London. Though the governor’s promises fell short, the young printer proved resourceful, finding work with renowned London houses and honing the skills that would later define his celebrated career.