Speech Outline – Benjamin Franklin
I. Introduction
A. I aided in the invention of electricity, along with a few other important inventions you use everyday, and I provided for your homeland security.
B. Named after famous poet, Uncle Ben.
C. First of all, growing up, family was the most important thing to me. I respected my dad, Josiah Franklin, and so did the rest of town. He was like a Military Trainer, well respected, but made very harsh decisions. I was the son of a youngest son for five generations. I also have a well respected Uncle Benjamin, who was a well-respected poet, and is where I received my name. Most of my family was interested in me going into some position in the church, so I was put into grammar school by my dad, with the intent of going into the church afterwards. At the age of 10, I was removed from school and began working with my father, who was in the soap and candle making business. I didn’t like working here so much, so my dad set out to find me a new line of work. My dad noticed that I was quite “bookish”, so I was put to work with my brother, James, who worked as a printer. I decided to sign a contract, at the age of 12, to work for James in the printing industry for 8 more years.
D. However, life wasn’t that easy. My life was an obstacle course becoming the writer, inventor, and scientist that I became.
II. A. My first problem was losing my job with my brother. After signing the agreement with my brother, life was good for a few years. I even anonymously published a few articles on my own, and I heard my brother approve and publish them in his newspaper. However, we eventually ran into problems, and started arguing. I broke my contract, and quit working for my brother after a few serious arguments. So my first problem after breaking contract was finding another job. At the age of 17, I secretly traveled away from home to New York City in search of a job. I found absolutely no work there, but I was informed that I could find a job in Philadelphia working for a printer named Andrew Bradford. This journey was eventful, for I was caught in a storm, and saved the life of a drunken Dutchman who almost drowned. I met a Quaker after entering the city, who offered me a house for the night, so I stayed there. The following day, I went to find Bradford for work. I was extremely frustrated to find out that he could offer me no actual work, but offered me housing. (resolution ties in with conflict b)
B. Now I ran into my next problem. I had no work, and was stranded in some city which I’m completely unfamiliar with, and had nowhere to go. I eventually ran into Keimer, who ran another printing shop in town. This did me no good at all, for I found out that both seemed to be poorly qualified as printers. Before long, I moved in with John Read, whose daughter I later marry. After living there for a few months, I received a letter from Robert Holmes, my brother in law, asking me to return to Boston. I wrote a letter to my brother in law explaining why I couldn’t return, and he then showed this letter to Governor William Keith. Long story cut short, Governor Keith likes the letter, says he will help me get going in my printing business so long as my dad pitches in some. My dad refuses and claims I’m too young, so the governor claims he’ll help me out himself, and sends me to England with the promise of talking to local printers. Governor Keith never informed printers of my arrival, and by the time I came back, I found that he was no longer governor. However I was still able to meet people and make connections. After returning to Philadelphia, I took over Keimer’s old printing business, after it went out of business, and then another print. In 1729, I started hiring out more people to work the printing companies I had ownership of, so that I could work on more important issues.
C. I was very concerned about several issues dealing with the government and economy. One of the problems in the government was the issue of whether or not a paper currency should be used. After publishing a pamphlet supporting paper currency, the house voted in favor of paper currency, and hired me to print it. I made great money from this, and I was put in charge of creating more documents in the government. I was worried about several security issues. In the 1730’s, I worked on helping to create the first fire department in America, as well as a better funding to the police force, through property taxes. This provided people with much more security and comfort in citizens.
D. I believe I changed the every day life of many citizens, in many different ways.
III. A1. Picture a world where no one would be harmed, where everyone was free and in no danger of everyone else. You wouldn’t hear the constant gun fire and news of wars, and you wouldn’t have a constant fear of being attacked at all. I came as close to perfect security as possible, with the publishing of Plain Truth, which laid out the nation’s horrible defenses, and gave measures to improve them. I set up the first lottery to raise money towards defense of all citizens.
A2. I also helped discover electricity through my famous lightning and kite experiment, and invented the stove, which is obviously an invention which affects all of you today. I refused to patent this invention, to allow the expansion of its uses, for the common good of everyone.
B. So, you tell me, was I important to American society?
IV. A. Obvious change of position, position self on chair?
B. So In the wise words of Nicole Kidman “I believe that as much as you take, you have to give back. It’s important not to focus on yourself so much.”
