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.
This episode originally posted as Episode 207.
Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/268
Sponsor Links
Omohundro Institute
Bombas, save 20 percent on your first order
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
Listen!
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Google Podcasts
Ben Franklin's World iOS App
Ben Franklin's World Android App
Helpful Links
Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group
Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast
Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page
Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter
*Books purchased through the links on this post will help support the production of Ben Franklin's World.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
