... not a good bookshop in any of the colonies. The quest to read took people to far distance to get their books. The idea to establish a library came as a result of the advantages members of his club, Junto derived when they gathered all their books together in a room where they held their ... met weekly to discuss Ways of working together for the benefit of themselves and the Philadelphia community. Benjamin came up with the idea of a public subscription library. He solicited for the support of his Junto club members for the new project. It started with 50 members, majority of them from t...

• Word Count: 1709
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography

... of scientific and intellectual research. Jefferson invented a decoding device, a lap desk, and an improved type of moldboard plow. His collection of more than 6,400 books became a major part of the Library of Congress. Jefferson revised Virginia's laws and founded its state university. He developed the decimal system of coinage that allows Americans to keep accounts in dollars and cents. He compiled ... . She traveled widely through New England and the Midwest on speaking tours. Her deep voice, quick wit, and inspiring faith helped spread her fame. Baumfree was born a slave in Ulster Cou...

• Word Count: 3135
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... Gazette from 1729 to 1766. He also wrote and published Poor Richard's Almanac from 1733 until1758. Benjamin had many ideas for the improvement of Philadelphia. He formed the first circulating library in America, helped organize their fire department, and suggested ways to light streets, deepen the rivers, dispose of garbage, and keep people from slipping on ice. Sometimes his ideas turned ... . Braddock ignored his warning. As a result, the French and Indians ambushed the British. Meanwhile, Franklin raised volunteer colonial armies to defend frontier towns and supervised construction of...

• Word Count: 1625
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... was established by 50 founding shareholders signed on. Each shareholder contributed 40 shillings and agreed to pay ten shillings per year. The Philadelphia library company was born. He formed the first public library in America. Library Company is an independent, non-profit research center. The availability of books allows Franklin the ability to advise readers on politics, philosophy, ... and how to get ahead in the world. The Library of Philadelphia is provide to all segments of Philadelphia's diverse population a comprehensive collection of information in a variety of media, and provi...

• Word Count: 916
• Approx Pages: 4

... Read as they live life to the fullest, always having fun and always going broke. Franklin, meanwhile, befriends a man named Wilcox, and together they work out a deal for a small lending library, and idea which will come to greater fruition back in Philadelphia. Franklin prints a pamphlet called A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain. The pamphlet is read by a well known ... sweetheart, Miss Read, on September 1, 1730. It is her second marriage; her first husband abandoned her. She helps Franklin in his "first project of a public nature": a subscription library, which...

• Word Count: 6150
• Approx Pages: 25
• Grade Level: High School

... help him in his printing business. The club also allows Franklin to develop his writing skills. With help Franklin successfully organizes a more public venture, known as the subscription library. Franklin introduces the library system for the good of the public, knowing that reading would generally enable a person to enlarge their education and understanding. He feels that he has prospered due to the ... society around him, and he is willing to devote time and energy for its betterment, such as the library. He uses the library to better himself. He commits two hours each day to reading ...

• Word Count: 1084
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... help him in his printing business. The club also allows Franklin to develop his writing skills. With help Franklin successfully organizes a more public venture, known as the subscription library. Franklin introduces the library system for the good of the public, knowing that reading would generally enable a person to enlarge their education and understanding. He feels that he has prospered due to the ... society around him, and he is willing to devote time and energy for its betterment, such as the library. He uses the library to better himself. He commits two hours each day to reading ...

• Word Count: 1083
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 on a farm called "Shadwell, in Albernarle County, Virginia" adjoining what is now Monticello. (Biography, p.1) His father and mother were known amongst some of the most famous ... of the first settlers of Virginia, from Wales. Thomas's mother came from one of the most distinguished families in Virginia, while his father was a county official and surveyor. At age five Jefferson's father placed him into an English school where he spent four years and then afterwards he was transferred to ... Crisis." In 1769 Jefferson was admitted to the bar of the ...

• Word Count: 1135
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... books from England. He suggested that himself and the other members of the group, Junto, take advantage and gather all of their books together as one collection to make a public library. He drew up a plan and presented it to a Mr. Charles Brockden. Mr. Brockden was to come up with an agreement so that each person was to make a down payment for ... became more customary and people were better familiar with books. Before reading this portion, I did not know that Franklin was the one to set up the first of libraries. The library is the first place people used to go when they wanted to know...

• Word Count: 961
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... pursuing his friend's wife, and frugality, seen in the stories of his indebtedness, while others were more positive, like his first major accomplishment, which I think was founding the Philadelphia subscription library. The second part of the theme, however, is much more explicit. Franklin gives less of a personal narrative and more explicit guidance, as in listing and explaining his thirteen virtues. It ... he made, by his witty style and judicious selection of news, both entertaining and informative. Later, in 1731, he founded what was probably the first public library in America, cha...

• Word Count: 1505
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... the country's foreign problems, Jefferson once again retired to Monticello. During retirement, Jefferson supervised the farming of his many lands and designed a plow, which revolutionized agriculture; he tended his library like a garden. Jefferson changed the architectural plans for Monticello, and supervised the construction. After three rather active years of "retirement", Jefferson accepted the Republican Party's nomination in 1796 for ... back for a second term. Busy as he was during these years, Jefferson had found time to follow his favorite intellectual pursuits. He had not only ...

• Word Count: 2061
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... sweetheart, Miss Read, on September 1, 1730. It was her second marriage; her first husband abandoned her. She helped Franklin in his "first project of a public nature": a subscription library, which Franklin founds as the first library in America. "These libraries have improved the general conversation of the Americans, made the common tradesman and farmers as intelligent as most gentleman from other countries, and ... perhaps have contributed in some degree to the stand so generally made throughout the colonies in defense of their privileges." His library, he wrote, helped "reading bec...

• Word Count: 3529
• Approx Pages: 14

... social contributions during the 1730s and 1740s. He helped start projects to pave, clean, and light the streets in Philadelphia. One of Franklin's premier accomplishments was helping to launch the Library Company in 1731. During that time books were scarce as well as expensive. Franklin recognized that by joining resources, members of the ... library could afford to buy books from England. In 1743, he helped to launch the American Philosophical Society, the first intellectual society in America. Recognizing that the city needed better help ... in treating the sick, Franklin brought tog...

• Word Count: 586
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... when he partnered with a friend to open his own print shop in Philadelphia, 2 years later, he was named the official printer of Pennsylvania. He helped to establish America's first library, the Library Company of Philadelphia, in 1731. After having financial success selling pamphlet's, he purchased The Pennsylvania Gazette, he transformed the struggling newspaper into the most successful newspapers in the colonies. He ... ...

• Word Count: 1178
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... are still used today. He invented most of his inventions to benefit others, and to solve some common problems. Some of the things he invented include the fire station, the library, the light bulb, bifocals, the Franklin stove, and swim fins. He invented the fire unions in order to eliminate house fires, "I wrote a paper on the different accidents and carelessnesses ... a way to fix that problem. His Franklin stove was also useful and beneficial. It was an open stove he had invented to improve heating inside homes. His creation of the library allowed subscribers to acquire books to read ...

• Word Count: 658
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... city life in Philadelphia. He is credited with helping to institute the fire department, paving department, street lights and the police department. He was instrumental in beginning the first circulating library and helped to begin the Academy of Education for Youth which later became The University of Pennsylvania. At this time Franklin began holding several small political offices. His passion for ... city could a group be attributed to the same thing "plans and institutions to deal with needs cooperatively." (World Biography 61) Franklin directed the Junto in sponsoring civic improve...

• Word Count: 1989
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography

... . In 1751, he helped found the first public hospital in America, which helped both the poor citizens and the mentally ill. He also suggested the subscription library, which led to the formation of the public library. While in Paris, Ben proposed the idea of Daylight Savings Time. His creative ingenuity helped improve the social life of the city. His creative ability did ... ...

• Word Count: 1788
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... in the literary and publishing world." Two years after acquiring the Pennsylvania Gazette (September 1729) Franklin founded in 1731 what is believed to be the first library in America. It would later be called the Philadelphia Library. The following year Franklin wrote the world renowned Poor Richard's Almanack under the pen name Richard Saunders. I found it interesting how Franklin was reluctant to ... ...

• Word Count: 1502
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... her death in 1774. For years Franklin was the public printer of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. 1731 - Established the first public library 6. Due to the debate groups (Junto) need for books he started the Library Company of Philadelphia. 1732 - Began publication of Poor Richard's Almanac 1736-51 - Served as clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly 1743 - Founded the American Philosophical ... ...

• Word Count: 631
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... . In 1730 he married Deborah Read, a Philadelphia woman whom he had known before his trip to England. Benjamin also founded what was probably the first public library in America, charted in 1742 as the Philadelphia Library. He published Poor Richard's Almanack in 1732, under the pen name Richard Saunders. He gained a wide audience, and exerted a perasive influence upon the American character. Benjamin ... ...

• Word Count: 499
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Benjamin Franklin is considered one of the first successful contributors to the development of book publishing in the American colonies. Franklin opened the first subscription library in the colonies and began publishing Poor Richards Almanack in 1733. This provided people something to read besides the bible. Poor Richards Almanack contained weather forecasts, short stories, a list of ... against slavery. Horatio Alger Jr." books about growing up in an industrial society encouraged hope in young readers with rags to riches stories. This era also brought about the public library system which ...

• Word Count: 495
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... volunteers who got together to exchange ideas and bring about civic improvements such as paved roads and streetlights in Philadelphia. Franklin was involved in the opening of the first subscription library and volunteer fire department in Philadelphia. In 1751 Franklin started the Philadelphia Academy, which later became the University of Pennsylvania. In 1752 Franklin was instrumental in starting a city hospital, which ... ...

• Word Count: 1760
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... to pursue many other activities besides his newspaper. Franklin (2013) states "Franklin amassed real estate and businesses, organized the Union Fire Company to counteract dangerous fire hazards, established a lending library so others could share his passion for reading, and was elected Grand Master of the Pennsylvania Masons, clerk of the state assembly and postmaster of Philadelphia" (para. 8). Most of ... ...

• Word Count: 1651
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... soon began to find themselves worthy of a Gentleman. One of Benjamin's missions was to help the city of Philadelphia like tradesmen, shopkeepers, and craftsmen to gain knowledge through his own library, which he printed off. This one one way he continued to help his fellow middlemen, and did not care about money or even to credit himself because it became too ... ...

• Word Count: 1530
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... Deborah Read, a woman he met before his trip to England. Together they had a son, who died at four years of age; and a daughter. In 1731, Franklin started the first public library. During the next several years, Franklin also helped start the first fire department, a police force, and the Academy of Philadelphia, which became the University of Pennsylvania. Around 1744, Franklin invented ... ...

• Word Count: 473
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School