What in the first 40 years of his life made Benjamin Franklin the genius he became?

Benjamin Franklin serves as a great window on to the early American past because as a man of “variety” he pursued many interests: literature, poetry, science, business, philosophy, philanthropy, and politics.

But one aspect of Franklin’s life has gone largely unstudied: his childhood and early life.

Nick Bunker, author of Young Benjamin Franklin: The Birth of Ingenuity, joins us to explore Benjamin Franklin’s early life and how family, childhood, and youthful experiences shaped him as a scientist and diplomat.

Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/207

 

Sponsor Links

• Omohundro Institute

Babbel.com (Free Trial)

Follow Us onTwitter: @BFWorldPodcast

 

Complementary Episodes

• Episode 086: George Goodwin, Benjamin Franklin in London
• Episode 112: Mary Beth North, The Tea Crisis of 1773
• Episode 160: The Politics of Tea
• Episode 169: Thomas Kidd, The Religious Life of Benjamin Franklin
• Episode 175: Daniel Mark Epstein, The Revolution in Ben Franklin’s House

 

 

Helpful Show Links

• Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page
• Join the Ben Franklin's World Community
• Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter
• Ben Franklin's World iOS App
• Ben Franklin's World Android App

 

*Books purchased through this link will help support the production of Ben Franklin's World.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices