Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

“Born and bred a member of the leather-aproned class, Franklin was, at least for most of his life, more comfortable with artisans and thinkers than with the established elite, and he was allergic to the pomp and perks of a hereditary aristocracy.”

Isaacson depicts Franklin as the embodiment of the middle class, which he helped to create both ideologically and economically. He never strayed far from his roots in this regard and consistently opposed privileges based on birth. However, he became a member of the elite himself through his many accomplishments.

“This appreciation of books was one of the traits shared by the Puritanism of Mather and the Enlightenment of Locke, worlds that would combine in the character of Benjamin Franklin.”

Isaacson explains that Franklin married the industriousness of the Puritans with a religion that was not dogmatic and focused on doing good works. Although he combined these traditions, Isaacson later concludes that Franklin represented one side of the American character and Cotton Mather another. Franklin stood for pragmatism and tolerance, while Mather for evangelical faith and moral crusading.

“Franklin, more typically, nurtured his reputation, as a matter of both pride and utility, and he became the country’s first unabashed public relations expert.”

Franklin understood the power of appearances and ensured that he came across as hard-working and virtuous. He behaved outwardly with self-deprecation and without aggression. He therefore exhibited a shrewd understanding of human relations and ensured that his appearance set him up for success.