Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) The Riverside Biographical Series 1. ANDREW JACKSON, by W. G. BROWN. 2. JAMES B. EADS, by LOUIS HOW. 3. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, by PAUL E. MORE. 4. PETER COOPER, by R. W. RAYMOND. 5. THOMAS JEFFERSON, by H. C. MERWIN. 6. WILLIAM PENN, by GEORGE HODGES. 7. GENERAL GRANT, by WALTER ALLEN. 8. LEWIS AND CLARK, by WILLIAM R. LIGHTON. 9. JOHN MARSHALL, by JAMES B. THAYER. 10. ALEXANDER HAMILTON, by CHAS. A. CONANT. 11. WASHINGTON IRVING, by H. W. BOYNTON. 12. PAUL JONES, by HUTCHINS HAPGOOD. 13. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, by W. G. BROWN. 14. SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN, by H. D. SEDGWICK, Jr. Each about 140 pages, 16mo, with photogravure portrait, 65 cents, _net_; _School Edition_, each, 50 cents, _net._ HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY BOSTON AND NEW YORK The Riverside Biographical Series NUMBER 3 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN By PAUL ELMER MORE BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY PAUL E. MORE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. EARLY DAYS IN BOSTON 1 II. BEGINNINGS IN PHILADELPHIA AND FIRST VOYAGE TO ENGLAND 22 III. RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.--THE JUNTO 37 IV. THE SCIENTIST AND PUBLIC CITIZEN IN PHILADELPHIA 52 V. FIRST AND SECOND MISSIONS TO ENGLAND 85 VI. MEMBER OF CONGRESS--ENVOY TO FRANCE 109 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN I EARLY DAYS IN BOSTON