Founders Friday - June 4, 2010

Benjamin Franklin:

Poor and poverty:

“I think the best way of doing good to the poor. Is not making them easy in poverty but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, I observed in different countries that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And on the contrary, the less that was done for them, the more they did for themselves and became richer.”

- Ben Franklin, November 27, 1766

Ben Franklin created the nations first hospital. Pennsylvania Assembly didn’t want to do it. The idea was about to die but Franklin pushed the issue more because he strongly felt they needed a hospital. He challenged the PA. He said he would raise half the money, 2,000 pounds, which at the time was unheard of, and they would have to match the funds - pay the other half. The PA thought Franklin wouldn’t be able to do it. To them the idea was crazy, so they took him up on the idea. Franklin successfully raised the money, more then 2,000 in fact, and the hospital is still operating today. The bill was signed into law on May 11, 1751. As Franklin put it, “to care for the sick, the poor, and the insane who are wondering the streets of Philadelphia.”

Franklin was lumped into the category with the other founders for being a racist. Really, Franklin was far from being a racist. All we ever hear is that our founders are nothing but rich white guys who are all racist. False.

Besides the first hospital, he also started the first lending library, helped establish the first volunteer fire company in America, and he went door to door to help organize the first militia.

Franklin wanted the rattle snake to be our national symbol because the rattle snake doesn’t bother anybody. He goes away when you approach him, he does useful work, and he’s cautious, but he’s never afraid so you don’t treed on him.

A Few Essentials about Ben Franklin:

• Ben was one of the richest men in America. He started poor.
• One of the most popular of the founders. Possibly more popular than Washington because he was an “everyman’s” type man.
• Franklin won the war because he put the alliance together.
• He was very against slavery.

Franklin understood that we are given the chance to become better than when we were born. We are given pursuit of happiness - a chance instead of trying to level the playing field.