Benjamin Franklin ran away from Boston when he was just a teenager. Penniless, he seized his chances and, through hard work, became a successful Philadelphia printer. Later, he pleaded for the union of the thirteen colonies and traveled to England to fight for American rights. He helped write the Declaration of Independence, then gave up home and business to serve as ambassador to France for many years.
A man of many talents, Ben was also an inventor, a musician, and an author. By the time he was sixty, Ben Franklin was the most famous American of his day—beloved at home and abroad.