d visited London. He eventually settled in Philadelphia and worked as a printer while continuing to pursue his love of books. In 1732, he authored Poor RichardÆs Almanac. That work, published annually, was ôthe source of his first fameö (Ketcham, 1966, p. 58). He ôendeavored to make it both entertaining and usefulö with stories appearing alongside weather forecasts, statistical data, and the suggested days for planting crops (Franklin, p. 107). Franklin interspersed pieces of wisdom among the calendar days, ôchiefly such as inculcated industry and frugality as the means of procuring wealth and thereby securing virtue[.]ö
Franklin voraciously devoured whatever books he could find, often borrowing from friends and acquaintances. So it was only natural in 1730 that he founded AmericanÆs first public library in Philadelphia. ô[H]e acted on certain assumptions: that all people could benefit from easier access to books, that an informed public would act for the general welfare, and that knowledge and liberty were inseparable. The rationale for founding the library showed, in short, FranklinÆs belief in the basic tenets of an open, democratic societyö (Ketcham, p. 68).
Meanwhile, Franklin founded and published The Pennsylvania Gazette, a unique newspaper for its time. The Gazette was ôfar more decorous than many colonial newspapersö (Ketcham, p. 89) and packed with much more information. Franklin reported on demographic trends by printing statistics, such as the birth and death records for Boston. FranklinÆs editorial decisions reflected his belief that such numbers told us a great deal about society. He also used the Gazette to push his civic agenda (Fleming, 1971, p. 17).
That agenda covered a wide range of topics reflected his tenacity. For example, it took him 17 years, but Franklin eventually persuaded his fellow citizens to support a property tax to fund regular patrols by responsible officer. A...