Benjamin+Franklin

​ Arianna Tello Benjamin Franklin

**__Benjamin Franklin__**



**__Benjamin Franklin:__** __**Born**__:January 17, 1706 [O.S. January 6, 1705]
 * __Died__**: April 17, 1790

The U.S. constitution has benefited our lives greatly today by giving the people freedom of life, liberty, and justice. Thanks to the founding fathers of the Constitutional Convention, none of the freedom we live with today would not be here thanks to them. 55 delegates met and discussed these laws and one of the delegates includes Benjamin Franklin. He was an important part to the constitution because he signed all the papers that allowed the thirteen colonies to break away from the British.
 * __Introduction:__ **

__** Background Information: **__ Ben Franklin lived a pretty normal life for a boy who came from a middle class family. He was born in Boston, M.A. He went to school and when he was 12, he dropped out and started to work at his fathers printing press. He then ran away at 17 to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to work at his brothers printing press. A few years later, Franklin moved to London, England where he met his two wives and had children with both. He returned back to Pennsylvania 10 years later and went into the government and was elected to the Continental Congress. Ben Franklin represented the sates of Pennsylvania. Franklin listed to many of the Constitutional Convention and really pushed for freedom of the thirteen colonies.


 * Here is a picture of Boston Massachusetts where Ben Franklin was born and grew up. ||

__** Role at Constitutional Convention: **__

Ben Franklin went 83 days out of 89 total days (93%) during the Constitutional Convention.The other 6 days during the convention, he was considered not present. Even being in his 80's and having health issues, he still went to many to make a difference. He signed three documents including the Declaration Of Independence, the Treaty of Paris, and the United States Constitution. Franklin pushed for the thirteen colonies to break away from the British and wanted them to live free of life, liberty, and justice. The three treaty's were between the British, the Amreican colony and the French. When Thomas Jefferson was done writing his draft of the Constitution, Franklin took it and revised it and sent it back to Jefferson to print the final copy. Franklin thought the three governmental branches were suppose to be split up evenly, so he told the other men at the Constitutal Convention that the executive branch had to much power and to give more to the legistaltive and the judicial branch. He helped the rights of large and small states, providing the equal rights and having the same amount of senators for each state. Franlkin strongly believed in Constitution and ried to convince all the other delegates to sign.



__** Attendance Record: **__ Ben Franklin attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 83 days out of 89 days total. That is 91% he attended and the other 9% he did not attend. ** This attendance sheet tells me that Ben Franklin was a dedicated delegate who wanted his vote to make a difference for the future of America. Without him going to almost all the meetings and him fighting for all the rights and freedom, we wouldn’t as a country be so successful and we would probably still have to live under these rules. With him putting a lot of effort, epically for an elder, he made a huge difference in history that greatly affects us as a country today. **

__DBQ:__ ** During the Constitutional Convention, Ben Franklin fought for all four topics, federalism, large vs. small states, checks and balances, and separation of powers. He didn't want one person, the British, to rule over the thirteen American colonies. He believed in giving all three branches of government equal powers. Also, he didn't want large states to have an advantage over the small states.



** __Primary Sources:__ __Constitutional Convention:__ **
Ben Franklin would agree with this part of the constitution because he believed in the rights to the small and large states to be equal. In this section, the Constitution is describing how states are not allowed to make foreign connections. Also, it is saying how they are not allowed to make alliances with foreign countries and that it is the job of the national government and the senates. He would agree with this because the large states do not have power to make decisions over the small states and they are both treated the same by having to follow the same rules.

__Bill Of Rights:__ Ben Franklin, I think, would agree with the 1st Amendment. The first Amendment is the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. Franklin fought for the voice of the thirteen American colonies. He wanted them to break away from the British and wanted them to live free. He thought the British did not treat the colonies with all the respect they deserved as individuals and though it was unfair the British thought they could walk all over the Americans.

Here is a picture of the Constitutional Convention at one of their meetings discussing the U.S. Constitution.

 Here is a link to a video about Ben Franklin at the Constitutional Convention and what his role was there and how he influenced it. []

__Works cited:__
 * "The Constitutional Convention as a Four Act Drama." //TeachingAmericanHistory.org -- Free Seminars and Summer Institutes for Social Studies Teachers//. N.p., n.d. Wed. 28 Apr. 2010. [].
 * Benjamin Franklin . Citizen Ben . Founding Father | PBS." //PBS//. N.p., n.d. Thur. 29 Apr. 2010. [].


 * File:Benjamin Franklin by Joseph Siffred Duplessis.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2010.  “ The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin” //The Franklin institute: Recourses for Science Learning//. Unisys Corporation.© 1994 The Franklin Institute Science Museum. May 1 2010.[]
 * " YouTube - Benjamin Franklin Calls for Prayer at the Constitutional Convention ."//YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.//. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2010. .
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