Throughout history, many people have made a lasting impact on the American society. Focusing on the years between 1750 and 1850, Benjamin Franklin stands out because of the influence he had on the American Revolution and his contributions to the American society. Not only was he a revolutionary leader, he was a statesman as well. Benjamin Franklin stands tall among a small group of men we call our Founding Fathers. Unlike George Washington, Franklin's role in the American Revolution was played in the halls and staterooms of government buildings. His views and beliefs helped him in shaping the United States of America to what it is today. Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston. He was the tenth son and fifteenth child of seventeen children in the Josiah Franklin family. His father was a soap and candle-maker who lived with his second wife, Abiah Folger. Benjamin Franklin taught himself simple algebra and geometry, navigation, logic, history, science, English grammar and a working knowledge of five other languages.
             Benjamin Franklin had a simple formula for success. He believed that successful people worked just a little harder than other people. In the 1740s, Franklin began experimenting with electricity, which led to the invention of the lightning rod. In addition to his science experiments, Benjamin Franklin was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly and held the post for fourteen years. In 1757, Franklin was sent to England to petition the king for the right to levy taxes. He stayed in England for the next five years to represent the American colonies. After coming back from England, he was chosen to become a member of the Second Continental Congress, serving on ten of its committees, and was made the postmaster general. Franklin became one of the five men to help draft the Declaration of Independence. He was also one of the signers and is known to have said, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all...