Benjamin Franklin was self-educated, which means that he was too poor to
go to school and therefore got a good education. As a boy he helped his
father to make candles, which were thought to look more romantic that
electric lights. When he was twelve Benjamin was so interested in
reading that he gave up eating in order to buy books. Franklin was a
plump, well-rounded man who invented almost as many things as Jefferson,
including silkworms, the Franklin stove, and bifocals. He also made it
possible for congressmen to send their letters free, which later became
as the Franklin Privilege. When Franklin was seventy, he was sent to
Paris to see what he could do to improve relations with the French, and
he is said to have done extremely well despite his age.
Thomas Jefferson is best known as the author of Declaration of
Independence, which is responsible for two holidays: July Fourth and
Declaration Day. Although he was the author of this important document,
he failed to secure a copyright.
Jefferson was not only a statesman but an inventor. His many
inventions include dumb-waiter. An extremely versatile person, he was
also an architect. Jefferson made a great contribution to American
political philosophy. He believed that all men are created equal. Deeply
religious, Jefferson was for a time a minister to France. In his spare
time he was a farmer and an aristocrat.
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