At thirty-three Franklin published the first Poor Richard's Almanac, a collection, effectively, of his own quotes, assembled under the pseudonym Richard Saunders'. Franklin used the character Poor Richard', after the alleged author, to personify the moral codes and work ethics he wished to enforce on other Americans. For instance: Women and wine, game and deceit, make the wealth small and the wants great', describing the pleasures of his successful contemporaries, and the dissatisfaction which they tried to extinguish with further indulgences. .
He that by the plow would thrive, himself must either hold or drive. This comment if not anti slavery, was at least pro active in business management, and encouraged men to put their own blood sweat and tears into the establishing and maintenance of their own livelihood, a major aspect of Franklin's American vision.
His most famous credence under this title early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise' is still used today. This utterance is distinguishable amongst the hundreds of other eighteenth century catchphrases as it explicitly defines Franklin's model of a successful lifestyle: physical strength, with which he can labour in his own business, intelligence as to thoughtfully manage his business, and the overriding motivation for this work ethic: financial gain.
Franklin also believed that only people of the nature which he encouraged could truly be free, which one could argue was his reason for encouraging virtuous' lifestyles of industrious, frugal, independent and public-spirited' people, as he strove for independence, or freedom, from British influence and order. Franklin is taken in history to have launched the revolution in the minds of the American people, and for the good of the people, although many suggest he took on this role during the first rumblings of independence so that he may assume power of these apparently free thinking, self sufficient people.