Synopses & Reviews
Now in its second edition, this authoritative edition of Benjamin Franklin's autobiography provides a window into eighteenth-century American society. Louis Masur's introduction allows students to see how the story of this famous figure illustrates a colonial world marked by bonded labor and geographic mobility, religious and political conflict, scientific invention and material consumption, domestic relations and foreign affairs.
Synopsis
This second edition of Franklin's famous autobiography is accompanied by a portfolio of illustrations and an introduction that provides background for students and invites them to think about the work's lasting impact on American society and culture.
About the Author
Louis P. Masur, is associate professor of history at the City College of the City University of New York and is a recipient of the Outstanding Teaching Award. Masur is the author of 1831: Year of Eclipse and Rites of Execution: Capital Punishment and the Transformation of American Culture, 1776-1865. He is also the editor of Reviews in American History.
Table of Contents
Foreword Preface
List of Illustrations
PART ONE
Introduction: The Life of Benjamin Franklin
The Road to Success
A Political Life
The History of the Autobiography
PART TWO
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Franklin's First Outline for the Autobiography
PART THREE
Related Documents
1. Plan of Conduct, 1726
2. Poor Richard Improved, 1758
3. Letter to Lord Howe, July 20, 1776
4. Speech in the Convention at the Conclusion of Its Deliberations, September 17, 1787
5. An Address to the Public, November 9, 1789
6. Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim on the Slave Trade, March 23, 1790
APPENDICES
A Franklin Chronology (1706-1790)
Questions for Consideration
Bibliography
Index