question

1. To whom is the autobiographical letter addressed?

answer

His son

question

2. What two primary reasons does Franklin give for sending this person his autobiography?

answer

In case his son was interested in his ancestors and that Ben's actions are fit to be imitated

question

3. What did Franklin spend any extra money on as a child?

answer

Books

question

4. What were Franklin's father's two specific reasons for apprenticing his son as a printer?

answer

um?

question

5. What "duty" does Franklin skip in order to spend more time studying?

answer

Church

question

6. What was Franklin's first foray into published writing?

answer

um?

question

7. What does Franklin believe provided the "principal means of [his] advancement?

answer

um?

question

8. Why do people sometimes find Collins annoying?

answer

Was a drunk, talks a lot

question

9. Which side of the debate about educating women did Franklin advocate?

answer

That they needed to be educated in order to raise educated children

question

10. What does Franklin's father find that he uses to convince Franklin to improve his writing style?

answer

He saw Ben's writing and told him to keep practicing

question

11. Name or describe one of the methods Franklin uses to improve his writing after he reads a copy of The Spectator.

answer

Ben writes essays and then reads them to find his faults, then rewrites the essay

question

12. Although he said he was lucky to escape becoming a bad poet, what makes Franklin wish he'd gone on making verses?

answer

It was still important in his life

question

13. What two benefits (besides health) does Franklin achieve thanks to his vegetarian lifestyle?

answer

Save money and more time to study (because he didn't eat a lot)

question

14. What academic subject does Franklin admit he's bad at?

answer

Math

question

15. Name the method of argument Franklin adopts after reading about it.

answer

Socratic method

question

16. Give an example of a phrase Franklin learns to use instead of speaking with "positivity."

answer

to not say "certainty" "undoubtedly" "i should think it so"

question

17. How did Franklin get his writing published in his brother's paper?

answer

By using an anonymous name

question

18. Why did Ben disagree with or dislike the way his brother and boss treated him? (The best answer has two parts)

answer

He was unhappy/angry all the time, he treated him lower than himself

question

19. Why was the paper printed for a time under Ben Franklin's name?

answer

Because Ben's brother's punishment, as well as going to jail was that he could not publish the paper

question

20. What three reasons does Ben give for choosing to leave Boston after he quits his job with his brother?

answer

Needs a job,

question

21. Outline the legs of Ben's trip from Boston to Philadelphia.

answer

Boston to New York. New York to Boston by boat.

question

22. What does Ben eat when he arrives in Philadelphia?

answer

A roll (bread)

question

23. What does William Bradford do that makes Ben write that he "saw immediately that one of them was a crafty old sophister, and the other a mere novice"?

answer

He talked to Keimer, but Keimer didn't know that he was an owner of another printer

question

24. Who finds out where Ben is and urges him to return to his family?

answer

Holmes (brother in law)

question

25. Who decides Franklin should open his own print shop, and what does he first do to make it happen?

answer

Keith- promises to help him

question

26. Name three things Franklin does at his brother's print shop during his visit.

answer

Showed them money, his watch, and his clothes (nice)

question

27. What city is Franklin in when he meets Collins, only to find him out of money due to drinking and gambling?

answer

New York

question

28. How does Collins compare to Ben in terms of potential for success?

answer

Collins would have potential but he always drunk

question

29. What important figure takes note of Franklin because of his collection of books? Why doesn't Collins also benefit from meeting this person?

answer

The governor of New York (Burnet)

question

30. What happens to the money Franklin collects on behalf of his brother's friend Vernon?

answer

Collin borrowed it and never gave it back

question

31. Why exactly does Franklin throw Collins in the Delaware?

answer

Because he wouldn't paddle

question

what reason does Franklin give for quitting the vegetarian lifestyle? What is his actual reason?

answer

Franklin thought that it was ok to eat bigger fish because they ate little fish, his actual reason was because he liked fish

question

33. When Franklin and Keimer agree to set up a new sect, what doctrine does Franklin insist that Keimer adopt? What method of adopting that doctrine does Franklin think works best?

answer

Makes Keimer become a vegetarian too

question

34. What makes Osborne look silly?

answer

After Ben plays a trick on him by presenting Ralph's poem as his

question

35. What promise did Osborne never fulfill?

answer

He never came to visit Ben after he died

question

36. What does Franklin do that both gets back at Governor Keith and helps Andrew Hamilton?

answer

He gives the letter about Hamilton to Hamilton from Keith

question

37. What is Franklin's opinion of Governor Keith in the end?

answer

He's a liar!

question

38. What essay did Franklin publish that got him noticed by other thinking men in London?

answer

A Dissertation on Liberty Necessity pleasure and pain

question

39. What job does Ralph take that he considers below him, what project does he undertake, and what does Franklin do that makes him lose Ralph as a friend?

answer

He became a teacher in a little village, Ralph and Ben liked the same woman

question

40. Name three ways Franklin benefits himself and/or others by not being a beer drinker.

answer

Ben tries to get them to stop drinking beer, instead he pays for the beer, but they pay him back with interest

question

41. Explain how another tenant of Franklin's boarding house demonstrates the virtue of frugality.

answer

The nun donates her money and she doesn't have a lot of furniture, doesn't eat a lot.

question

42. How does Franklin's physical fitness open up a new opportunity for him (that he doesn't take advantage of)?

answer

The swimming instructor

question

43. What trait of Denham's does Franklin present as admirable?

answer

He paid off all his debts

question

44. Why is Franklin not embarrassed to see Miss. Read? Why would he have been embarrassed?

answer

Because he didn't send her enough letters and she married another man

question

45. Why is Franklin disappointed not to be dying?

answer

Because he already prepared himself to die

question

46. How does Keimer plan to save money by paying Franklin a high wage?

answer

Because Ben would get the business going, then he would fire him and pay everybody else lower

question

47. How does Franklin demonstrate resourcefulness in the print shop?

answer

Re-uses something?

question

48. Put in your own words what made Keimer unappealing to the important people in town.

answer

He was not nice

question

49. How is the outcome of the paper currency debate similar to the early letters Franklin exchanged with Collins?

answer

He had to pick a side and argue it

question

50. After opening his own print shop, what does Franklin consider of equal importance to being industrious while paying off his debts?

answer

frugality

question

51. What debauchery does Franklin sometimes allow to distract him from his work? When does he partake of it?

answer

Reading

question

52. How does Bradford abuse his government job?

answer

Bradford is postmaster and pays off the mailmen to not deliver Ben's paper

question

53. What risk was Franklin lucky enough to avoid before he married Miss Read?

answer

That her former husband's debts were not to be paid by him

question

54. List some benefits that came of the subscription library (these appear in two different places).

answer

Education of people, became a national library

question

55. According to Mr. James, why should Franklin continue writing his life story?

answer

Because he is such an interesting and successful person

question

56. Mr. Vaughan gives at least ten reasons Franklin should continue his memoirs. List at least five of them.

answer

1. forming the future of great men. 2. benefitting the youth. 3. teach self-education. 3. benefit wise and weak men. 4. show that you don't have to be rich. 5. good virtues

question

57. What strategy does Franklin learn to use to get people on board with his projects?

answer

by writing pamphlets

question

58. What two American virtues does Franklin share with his wife? Which one did she begin breaking and why?

answer

Frugality and industry, she breaks frugality (silver spoon and china)

question

59. Why does Franklin support churches and avoid attacking any religion even though he doesn't attend church or espouse any religion?

answer

He believes that all sects are equal and that they all benefit the community, one is not more right than the other

question

60. Why does he choose to attain one virtue at a time?

answer

better results, better focus

question

61. Explain how Franklin's table of virtues works.

answer

Week by week, Ben focusses on one virtue at a time and adds a virtue weekly

question

62. Why does his use of the table peter out?

answer

He realizes he doesn't need to be perfect and he has already changed for the good

question

63. Explain the analogy Franklin uses to explain his feelings when wanting to give up on order

answer

It was hard because he wasn't use to it. The story of the axe.

question

64. What does "something that pretended to be reason" tell Franklin?

answer

um?

question

65. What is the end result of the project?

answer

Library? Militia? School?

question

66. What old technique does Franklin use in trying to appear to have conquered pride?

answer

Cover up with humility, not good to be prideful

question

1. Almanacs are not normally considered books for teaching values, since they are reference books. Why did Ben try to squeeze proverbs and advice into every blank space in Poor Richard's Almanac? There are two possible answers.

answer

Because he wanted to educate those who he thought weren't educating themselves

question

2. Ben wrote a fake speech that included many of the proverbs he had included in the almanac. What effect did some people think that fake speech had locally?

answer

Empty sack can't sit up straight? he community though it was great?

question

3. How did Ben use his newspaper to improve people n his community?

answer

To educate them

question

4. Name two kinds of article that Ben refuses to print.

answer

Personal Abuse, Libel

question

5. What does Ben think women should be taught, and what story does he tell to support this idea?

answer

To help business, accounting and managing

question

6. How does Ben make up for breaking his apprenticeship contract with his brother?

answer

He took care of his nephew after his brother died, sent him to school

question

7. In an effort to give advice about a lesson he has learned, Ben shares a very personal and painful piece of information. What is it?

answer

That his son died at age 4 due to smallpox. you should vaccinate your kids.

question

8. Ben has a conflict with a member of the assembly. Others might try to improve the relationship by being extra-nice to the man or doing him favors. Instead, what does Ben do?

answer

Ben borrows a book from him; therefore opening up a relationship and for him to be more open to doing him another favor

question

9. What did the previous postmaster (Bradford) not do well, which lost him the job and therefore all the benefits it provided to him as a printer? (Hint: the thing he didn't do well is also the thing that Ben gives advice about at the end of the paragraph)

answer

His job

question

10. Regarding the city watch, name two major problems Ben saw with the current system and two major parts of the new system he proposed.

answer

The watchmen would pay off their position to sketchy people and it wasn't a consistent group. He wanted it to be a regular group that was paid.

question

11. Name two obligations members of Ben's fire company were required to fulfill.

answer

Had to be physically fit and had to bring a bucket

question

12. What do you think was Ben's most important action in starting a militia (a volunteer self-supporting army)?

answer

GIves people a sense of protection?

question

13. Ben's discussion of the founding of the academy and the use of the building in which it would be housed is a bit confusing. What was the group's priority in choosing trustees to guide the use of the building and grounds?

answer

Only one person from each sect?

question

14. The building is soon handed over to the group who is running the school itself, on the condition that they also take on the debt owed on the building and grounds. When this happens, what changes are made to the building and who manages them?

answer

dividing the halls into stories, different rooms above and below for different schools

question

15. Why is Ben working in his printing office less at this point?

answer

um?

question

16. What does this academy eventually become?

answer

UPenn

question

1. Ben isn't impressed with either Bradford or Keimer, the two printers in Philadelphia. What was each one's weakness?

answer

um?

question

3. Who decides Franklin should open his own print shop, and what does he first promise to do to ensure his success

answer

um?

question

5. Name three things Franklin does at his brother's print shop during his visit back home to Boston. 5. Name three things Franklin does at his brother's print shop during his visit back home to Boston.

answer

um?

question

6. What does Franklin's father say about the print shop plan?

answer

you're too young not experience. study more and save money

question

7. Name two pieces of advice that Franklin's father gives him.

answer

save money, learn more

question

8. Franklin says that he narrowly avoided a dangerous situation on the boat to New York. What was it?

answer

Not to flirt with low women who later stole things from the boat

question

10. How has Collins changed since Franklin has been gone?

answer

he is drunk

question

What does Franklin publish that he uses to instruct common people who don't normally read with things such as proverbs

answer

Poor Richard's Almanac

question

Who says, "Among the printers here you will improve yourself, and when you return to America, you will set up to greater advantage."

answer

Denham

question

Describe the trick that Ralph and Ben played on Osborne.

answer

Ralph wrote a piece of poetry then gave it to Ben to bring to the group. When Osborne read it, he praised how great the poem was. Then Ben and Ralph told Osborne that the poem was Ralph's. Osborne usually criticizes all of Ralph's work.

question

How old was Ben's son when he died? What did he die of and what could have prevented it?

answer

He was four years old. He died of smallpox. Ben never got his son vaccinated for smallpox.

question

Why was Deism not practical in Ben's mind?

answer

It did not make people's life better because it leads them to behaviors that can hurt themselves or others

question

Once Ben decides not to work for his brother anymore, what are two of the three reasons why Ben can't stay in Boston?

answer

People think Ben is an atheist, his brother made sure he couldn't get another printing job in Boston because he broke their apprenticeship, and Ben is sarcastic and outspoken (especially about religion), so leaders in the area aren't crazy about him

question

Why did Ben add "humility" to the list of virtues he wanted to master?

answer

His Quaker friend informed him that he generally was proud all the time and needed to work on being humble.

question

Why was Ben able to marry Ms. Godfrey when he came back from England?

answer

He never married Ms. Godfrey. He married Ms. Read.

question

What does Ben's wife buy him because she thinks he deserves nice things?

answer

China bowl and silver spoon

question

List 6 of the 13 virtues that Ben Franklin included in his quest for a flawless existence?

answer

Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity and Humility. Any 6 of these 13.

question

What was the significance of the story Ben tells about he and his friends stealing rocks to build their wharff? Paraphrase the maxim his father tells him as a result of this action.

answer

The significance was that if something is dishonest it is no longer useful. The maxim is "...that nothing was useful which was not honest."

question

Why does Ben give money to all kinds of churches?

answer

He says that although he does not agree with all religious doctrines he believes that religion in general is good for people.

question

What effect did Ben's subscription library have on the citizens of Philadelphia?

answer

The library made the general population smarter and improved conversations between many different groups of people. This also made the lower class of Philadelphia as smart as the upper class of many other countries.

question

Which virtue was the hardest for Ben to accomplish and why?

answer

Order. This was hard for him because he was not used to doing this in his life and it was very inconvenient.

question

According to Ben, why is pride is the trickiest natural passion to subdue?

answer

Ben says that even if you subdue your pride you will probably end up being proud of how humble you have become.

question

Name the three errata Ben discusses (he specifically acknowledges these three as errata).

answer

He borrows Vernon's money, He leaves his brother and his brother's printing house, and he doesn't write Miss Read when he is in London.

question

When Ben, Keimer, and Bradford all have printing houses, why does Benjamin write entertaining pieces by "Busy Body" for Bradford's paper?

answer

He writes under the name "Busy Body" because he reveals his plan to open his own printing shop to Web, Web tells Keimer, and Keimer tries to publish his own newspaper before Ben can publish one. Ben tries to attract readers to Bradford's just to ruin Keimer's newspaper's chances at success.

question

Why is it so convenient to be a "reasonable creature"?

answer

Because you can come up with a logical reason to justify anything you want to do.

question

What is ironic about Samuel Mickle?

answer

He always complained about what a bad city Philadelphia was, but he then had to buy land there for 5 times as much.

question

Name two examples of how Ben tries to improve his writing using the Spectator

answer

made notes from Spectator and tried to recreate the article, mixed up the notes and tried to rearrange them logically, turn the articles into poems and back again

question

What was Ben's father's reaction to the governor's letter suggesting that Ben be set up with his own printing shop?

answer

Flat denial. Thought Ben was too young to run a business

question

How does Ben's family manage to practice their religion in England without being persecuted?

answer

They had an English Bible secured under a stool

question

Name three civic institutions or services that Ben founds in Philadelphia by the end of the book.

answer

Firefighters, a state militia, police (a night beat)

question

What situation did Ben unfairly take advantage of in order to escape his brother's printing house?

answer

Ben was under secret, illegal apprenticeship, and if his brother

question

What group do both letter writers say that Ben's autobiography will benefit?

answer

The youth.

question

What is William Keith's weakness, something he likes to do, even when it will probably lead to a bad outcome.

answer

Please people, make promises

question

What should newspapers not do, according to both Ben and his father?

answer

Libel

question

What reason does Ben provide for eating fish when he is on Block Island? What is the real reason?

answer

Fish eat other fish, so why not eat them. He likes the way they smell

question

Why does the nun have to confess everyday?

answer

She thinks vain thoughts

question

Why was Bradford able to keep Ben's papers from being distributed?

answer

Because Bradford was in charge of the post office

question

13. Why didn't Ben like the Presbyterian minister?

answer

He preached about being a better Presbyterian rather than a better person

question

Today, what is the name of the academy that Ben founded?

answer

University of Pennsylvania

question

What was the first piece of poetry that Ben published?-

answer

The Light-house Tragedy

question

What magazine did Ben use in order to learn how to write?

answer

The Spectator

question

In terms of humility, after whom did Ben model his ideals?

answer

Socrates and Jesus

question

What kind of exercise can Ben do that most people couldn't at that time?

answer

Swimming

question

Under what full name did Ben publish Poor Richard's Almanac?

answer

Richard Saunders

question

Who took the daily business of the printing house mostly off of Ben's hands and had an 18 year long partnership with Ben?

answer

Mr. David Hall

question

What did Ben show off to his brother's workers when he returned to Boston?

answer

He showed John's journeymen his silver coins, watch, and fancy clothes.

question

What is a common thread that ties Collins and Ralph?

answer

They both took advantage of Ben and they eventually let Ben down. Collins was too drunk to meet the Gov. of New York. Ralph ran off to be a school teacher.

question

What sect of Christianity was Ben educated in as a child?

answer

Presbyterian.

question

Although he did not accomplish all 13 virtues, how did Ben benefit from attempting this endeavor

answer

He claims that it made him an overall better and happier man than he would have been if he hadn't tried.

question

What did Ben Franklin invent?

answer

Everything:)

question

what forced him to stay as an apprentice

answer

he would be admitting to breaking the law.

question

What inhibited Ben's continued writing of his autobiography

answer

The American Revolution

question

How did Ben display his resourcefulness in the print shop?

answer

he made new types by making molds form the olds ones

question

How is Ben's father used as a model of a specifically American ideal?

answer

he wanted religious freedom, he cares about honesty

question

Why did Ben's father decide to make Ben a printer?

answer

Ben liked to read and spent all of his allowance on books.

question

Name one argument or debate that Ben uses to show the power of being a good writer.

answer

Collins and Ben were arguing and passing letters back and forth. Josiah says that Collins is much more eloquent.

question

Why did Ben's dad send him to grammar school?

answer

He was his father's tithe to the church because his friends told him Ben had potential as a good scholar

question

How many brothers and sisters does Ben have?

answer

16

question

How many letters did Ben send to Miss Read during his 18 month stay in England?

answer

1

question

Ben was a member of an intellectual group. What was the group called?

answer

Junto

question

Who does Ben set up a printing house with?

answer

Meredith

question

Who did Ben throw off the boat and why?

answer

Collins because he wouldn't help row the boat even when Ben helped and didn't need to.

question

Why was Ben known as the Water-American?

answer

he only drank water, because this gave him strength to work instead of drinking beer like everyone else.

Ben Frank Test – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards