"Well done is better than well said," once said a great man. Americans and all peoples around the globe owe tribute and thank this man, who made a significant impact on technology and the lives of all Americans during his time. Through his genius and diligent dedication to the progress of mankind, he opened up a doorway for many others to follow in his footsteps toward a world of tremendous technological and philosophical growth.

A printer, author, philosopher, scientist, and inventor by trade, this man - probably one of the most respected of his time - actually spent most of his time working as a diplomat and revolutionary for the upcoming American colonies. However, he is probably most acclaimed as being America's greatest statesman ever. His phenomenal

As a leader in the drafting and a signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, Franklin was integral in the development of the infrastructure framework of government that we now call democracy. His innovative ideas about government provided a basis on which other colonial leaders could progress and develop upon.

As anyone knows, the British are worldwide famous for their love of hot tea. Although Americans at heart, the colonists were English born, and they loved tea as much as anyone. Parliament realized this, and they knew that this highly-demanded American import would be accessible nowhere else. In consideration of this indisputable fact, Parliament put a tax on tea, calling it the Tea Act. When the next boatload of taxed tea arrived in the Boston Harbor, colonial rebels - dressed as Indians - went and sunk the entire shipment of tea as a display of their open hostility to the English. This became known as the Boston Tea Party, and provoked the British to pass what became known as the Intolerable Acts.

Perhaps Franklin's most significant contribution to America, however, was not printing nor science - but his role in America's struggle for independence. Benjamin Franklin was one of America's most important leaders in battle - in battle of rhetoric, diplomacy, and politics. When a problem was to be solved, those who would seek to offer a solution would first turn to Franklin for his approval.

These articles, published anonymously, won wide notice and acclaim for their observations on the current scene. Because of its liberal bias, the New England Courant frequently incurred the displeasure of the colonial authorities. In 1722, as a consequence of an article considered particularly offensive, James Franklin was imprisoned for a month and forbidden to publish his paper, and for a while it appeared under Benjamin's name (Benjamin Franklin, Funk & Wagnall's Online Encyclopedia).

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts. His father, Josiah Franklin, a tallow chandler by trade, had 17 children; Benjamin was the 15th child and the 10th son. His mother, Abiah Folger, was his father's second wife. The Franklin family lived modestly, like most New Englanders of the time. Early in his life, Franklin indicated significant intelligence and academic ability. After his attendance at grammar school from age eight to ten, Benjamin was taken into his father's business. Finding the work uncongenial, he entered the employ of a cutler. At age 13 he was apprenticed to his brother James, who had recently returned from England with a new printing press (Benjamin Franklin, Funk & Wagnall's Online Encyclopedia). Benjamin learned the printing trade, devoting his spare time to the advancement of his education. As an avid student and reader of classic and contemporary writers, Franklin quickly became adept at writing, and he soon developed his own unique prose style. Franklin's brother, James Franklin, founded and created his own newspaper, called The New England Courant. Franklin spent his days delivering the newspaper, and worked all night writing articles for it.

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