How big was Ben Franklin's family?

Benjamin Franklin had 16 siblings. His father, Josiah, had seven children with his first wife, Anne Child, and 10 more with Abiah Folger. Ben was Josiah's 15th child and his youngest son.

What was Benjamin Franklin's family like?

He had eleven living brothers and sisters. His father, Josiah Franklin, made soap and candles for a living. His mother, Abiah, raised the children. According to Franklin, it was a crowded, noisy, and happy home.

Was Benjamin Franklin's family wealthy?

Born into a Boston family of modest means, Franklin had little formal education. He went on to start a successful printing business in Philadelphia and grew wealthy.

What are some interesting facts about Benjamin Franklin's family?

Franklin was raised as a Presbyterian. His father, Josiah Franklin, emigrated from England in 1682. He had 7 children with his first wife, when she died he married Abiah Folger and had 10 more children, a total of 17 in which Benjamin was the 15^th and youngest son.

Why is Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill?

Answer and Explanation: Benjamin Franklin is on the $100 bill because of the impact he made on America and his work as one of the Founding Fathers. Although he was never president, Benjamin Franklin played a very important role in building our nation.

14 Facts About Benjamin Franklin | America's Most Eccentric Founding Father

How many children were in Benjamin Franklin's family?

His first wife, Anne, died giving birth to their seventh child. He then married Abiah Folger of Nantucket, and they had ten children together. Benjamin was the eighth—and the youngest son. The Franklins, who made candles and soap professionally, were deeply religious.

Who was Benjamin Franklin's best friend?

Thomas Denham was a Philadelphia merchant who plays an important role in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, as a father figure, friend, and benefactor who helps the young Benjamin Franklin during and after his first trip to England in 1724–1726.

Who was Ben Franklin's illegitimate child?

William Franklin (b. 1730 in Boston), was Benjamin Franklin's acknowledged illegitimate son, raised by Franklin and his common-law wife, Deborah Read.

Does Benjamin Franklin have any descendants alive today?

"We found out about wonderful Franklin artifacts that are in families that we didn't even know about," she says. She also was able to update her genealogical data base, which now lists 3,380 descendants, 300 of them added during the weekend. She estimates that at least 2,000 descendants are alive today.

Who did Ben Franklin leave his money to?

In his will, Benjamin Franklin left $2,000 to the city of Philadelphia and $2,000 to the city of Boston with the direction that it could not be drawn on for 100 years and could not be distributed for 200 years.

Was Benjamin Franklin's family religious?

Franklin grew up in a devout Puritan family in colonial Boston, but by his teen years the bookish boy began to doubt key aspects of his parents' Calvinist faith. Abandoning Christianity altogether, however, was not a realistic option for someone as immersed as Franklin in the Bible's precepts and the habits of faith.

Who was Benjamin Franklin's favorite sibling?

Jane Mecom, the Favorite Sister of Benjamin Franklin: Her Life here first fully narrated from their entire surviving Correspondence by Carl Van Doren. . By Doren, Carl Van.

How many of Ben Franklin's siblings survived?

Benjamin and Jane had an indissoluble bond. Though they saw each other but rarely, their correspondence stretched across 63 years. During the final quarter-century of their lives, they were their only surviving siblings.

What happened to Ben Franklin's children?

They had two children together. Their son, Francis Folger Franklin, was born in October 1732 and died of smallpox in 1736. Their daughter, Sarah "Sally" Franklin, was born in 1743 and eventually married Richard Bache.

Why did Benjamin Franklin disown his son?

Owing to his father's role as a Founding Father and William's loyalty to Britain, the relationship between father and son became strained past the breaking point. When Benjamin decided to take up the Patriot cause, he tried to convince William to join him, but the son refused.

How long did Benjamin Franklin own slaves?

Franklin owned slaves from as early as 1735 until 1781. The Franklin household had six slaves; Peter, his wife Jemima and their son Othello, George, John and King. After 1758 Franklin gradually changed his mind when his friend Samuel Johnson brought him to one of Dr. Bray's schools for black children.

Was Ben Franklin a Found father?

Although Benjamin Franklin is best known as a Founding Father, he held this role later in his life. Franklin served on the Committee of Five that was tasked with drafting the Declaration of Independence.

What did Benjamin Franklin love the most?

Franklin's love of reading prompted his father to apprentice him to James, an older brother with a printing shop.

Did Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson get along?

Benjamin Franklin (pictured) and Thomas Jefferson were close friends and had much in common.

Did Thomas Jefferson like Ben Franklin?

Yet this “school of humility” was never one that Jefferson seemed to begrudge. He lauded Franklin as scientist, statesman, and a “great and dear friend, whom time will be making greater while it is spunging us from it's records.”

How many illegitimate children does Ben Franklin have?

Answer and Explanation: Benjamin Franklin only has one recorded illegitimate child. Prior to his common law marriage to Deborah Reed in September 1730, Benjamin Franklin acknowledged William Franklin as his illegitimate child (born out of wedlock).

What 3 things did Benjamin Franklin invent?

What heritage is the Franklin family?

The Franklin family name dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name comes from when an early member worked as a landowner who was not a member of the nobility.