[Pharmboy]

A most unique individual.

[freebilly]

In the 20th Century, Franklin would've worn a leisure suit, white shoes, an open neck shirt with a gold chain, and would've participated in swing parties....

[ClearCase_guy]

To describe a Founding Father as "annoyingly bourgeois" tells me all I need to know about this writer. The fact that the NYT is behind this piece just confirms what I already know.

[Pharmboy]

"Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" is at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia through April 30 and then travels to St. Louis, Houston, Denver, Atlanta and finally, in December 2007, to Paris.

"Benjamin Franklin: In His Own Words" is at the Southwest Gallery of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress in Washington through June 17.

Peter Harholdt
A glass armonica, musical instrument designed by Benjamin Franklin.

RevWar/COlonial History/ Gen. Washington ping list.

Freepmail me to get OFF or ON this list.

[sully777]

"...No, Franklin, the middle-class materialist and moralist, has not had an easy time of it, particularly during much of the 20th century when he was often considered annoyingly bourgeois..."

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This is neither insightful nor thought provoking commentary; rather, it is yet another salon circle jerk of lifeless, mindless, pseudo-intellectual pr*ckheads.

[RonF]

I was born in Franklin, Massachusetts. It broke off from Wrentham and was named Essex for a year or so. But then the town fathers got the idea that they would rename the town after Dr. Franklin and on the basis of this honor get him to donate a church bell, which they needed to summon the farmers to worship, or in case of fire, Indian attack, etc., etc.

Dr. Franklin, however, was not of that mind. In a letter to his nephew, he wrote that he had decided that, "Sense being preferable to Sound", the farmers of Franklin would be better off with a library. So a case of books was purchased and sent off to them.

Franklin, Massachusetts now has the oldest public library in the United States. The books Dr. Franklin sent still exist and are on display in a glass and oak case in the front of the library (called Ray Memorial Library after the mill-owning family that paid to have the present main building built in the 19th Century). I know this, having spent many hours in that library during my elementary, junior high and early high school years.

[Billthedrill]

You have to read a ways into the article to realize that the author doesn't think a great deal of Franklin's detractors. Nor do I, especially D.H. Lawrence. Franklin, dry? Of all of the things all of his multitudinous enemies called him, dry was not one.

He was primarily known in Europe as a scientist, not a statesman, and had a range of interests and talents that astonish anyone who comes to learn of him with a blank slate. I do not think his memory is in any particular danger from the likes of D.H. Lawrence.

[Congressman Billybob]

I wrote a better article on Franklin than the NY Times has, here. See, "Ben Franklin's Greatest Invention," posted on FR. The Times is into clever phrases and style points. But understanding an important subject is beyond its reporters and editors.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: " 'Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics' in Military Recruitment"

[Restorer]

He began a three-generation tradition of siring illegitimate children

To be fair, he sired this child (not "children" as is implied by the wording) before his marriage, and he took responsibiity for and raised him. The child eventually became the royalist governor of NJ during the Revolution and as a result was permanently alienated from his father.

[Clock King]

A most unique individual.

Quite true. I don't think there is a single great personage in history who was "normal" or "average." (Christ maybe, but He was Divine) They were all human and human to the extreme in many cases, embodying both virtuous and dark elements in their personalities.

[aculeus]

No, Franklin, the middle-class materialist and moralist, has not had an easy time of it, particularly during much of the 20th century when he was often considered annoyingly bourgeois"

The Times has no shame ... or talent.

[jocon307]

Very interesting. I read something, somewhere, once, about how really famous Franklin was in his time for being a scientist. Of course, he's fave here, since the kid shares his birthday, his adjusted birthday of Jan 17th. Truly we must be ever grateful for our founding fathers.