In corresponding through mail with his friend John Collins, Franklin began to realize the power of knowledge through writing as an instrument to guide him from goodness to greatness and he continually seeked to improve himself in this aspect from then on. Frederick Douglas, too, came to this realization. When he was seven, he was sent to work under his master's brother-in-law, Hugh Auld, in the city of Baltimore. Mrs. Auld had never owned a slave before and was initially much k!.
inder than any master Douglass had ever had. She sympathized with him and actually started teaching him how to read. She had covered only a few letters when Hugh Auld became aware of her lessons and he became infuriated. He forbade her from any further teachings because, as he said of young Douglass, "He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy." Upon hearing these words, Frederick Douglass knew the rather literal usefulness of written language as a means of negating the power of the white man. He was beginning to take an active control over his life. In fact, these were turning points in their lives for both men. The key to independence for both lay in self-betterment.
They set about learning the finer points of the written language on their own accord and drawing outside help where they deemed it necessary. Obviously, neither had much of a formal education. Young Ben Franklin had a few years of grammar school under his belt, but he primarily learned through emulating that which he thought was good. As already stated, he developed his own writing style from prominent writers, many of whom were liberals and also shaped Benjamin's political views. Much of his reading was done between work times, when he should have been asleep. Foremost, Ben Franklin looked to his father, Josiah, whom Ben saw as well rounded.