Benjamin Franklin

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Benjamin Franklin
Born	17 January [O.S. 6 January] 1706 Boston, Massachusetts, British America
Died	17 April 1790 (aged 84) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Benjamin Franklin (17 January [O.S. 6 January] 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts – 17 April 1790 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was a Statesian writer, printer, publisher, scientist, inventor, Enlightenment Age philosopher, diplomat, and statesman. As a Founding Father of the United States, he helped draft its declaration of independence, serving as its 1st Postmaster General and the 6th President of Pennsylvania.

Franklin belonged to the classical liberal tradition, advocating for a republican form of government in contrast to absolutism, which existed in Europe at the time. He favoured representative over direct democracy and opposed property qualifications for voting rights. Franklin also heinously supported the genocide of indigenous peoples. Though initially a slave-owner, Franklin came to oppose the practice, freeing his slaves and becoming a vocal abolitionist. He served as the president of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society and petitioned for Congress to ban slavery in 1790.