Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) was a Founding Father of the United States. He made his name in Philadelphia as a printer and publisher of Poor Richard's Almanack. His studies of electricity made him a leading scientist, and his inventions included the lightning rod.

As a colonial agent in London he helped secure repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766. He helped draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776, then as minister to France won the French alliance and the 1783 Treaty of Paris. He also helped found Philadelphia's first fire department. President of Pennsylvania from 1785, he signed the Constitution in 1787.