Franklin, Benjamin

[person]

American inventor, scientist, and politician, born in Boston (1706-1790). Franklin was a prolific scientist and humanitarian. In Philadelphia, he founded America's first subscription library, the city hospital, and the American Philosophical Society. He was also an inventor, designing a heat-efficient stove, swim fins, and bifocals. His experiments with electricity and lightening brought him global recognition. In the political scene, he was elected to the continental congress, signed the Declaration of Independence, and – one of his last acts before dying – wrote an anti-slavery treatise.