BenjaminFranklinandHisworld---BiographyWhentheauthor'strueidentitywasrevealed,Jameswasplaguedwithenvyandthetwosiblingssooncametophysicalblows.Quarrelingconstantly,thebrotherscouldnolongermaintaintheirrolesofmasterandapprentice.Benjamindesperatelysoughttoescapehisbrother'sdisapprovalandthenarrow-mindednessofPuritansociety.InSeptemberof1723,hegothischance.WithhisclosefriendJohnCollins,Franklinbegananarduousjourney.AfterabriefstayinNewYork,theyarrivedinPhiladelphiaonOctober8th,broke,weary,andfacinganuncertainfuture.AtthetimeofFranklin'sarrivalinPhiladelphiain1723,thecitywasasmalltownoffewerthan10,000people.However,within50years,thetownwouldgrowtobecomethesecondlargestcityintheBritishEmpire.Asitturnedout,Franklin'sandPhiladelphia'sfortuneswereinextricablylinked.Franklin'sliberalmindsoondevelopedanaffinityforthePennsylvaniacity.UnlikeconservativeBoston,withitsPuritanreligiousorthodoxy,Philadelphiawasfoundedontheprincipleofreligioustolerance.Thecolony'sfounder,WilliamPenn,opposedanofficialchurch.Thus,Philadelphiawascharacterizedbyreligiousaswellasethnicdiversity,servingasamainentrypointforIrishandGermanimmigrants.Benjamin'simmediateconcern,though,wastofindemploymentandameansofsustenance.Arrivingwithonlythreecentsinhispocket,hespentthemoneyonthreeloavesofbread,generouslysharingoneofthemwithanoldwidow.Atthatpoint,theyoungtravelerdidnothaveasinglepennytohisname.Nevertheless,ontheseconddayintown,FranklinfoundapositionasajourneymanprinterintheshopofSamuelKeimer,onlyoneoftwoprintersofPhiladelphia.HestayedataboardinghousenextdoortotheshopmaintainedbyJohnRead.Interestingly,Read'sdaughter,Deborah,wouldlaterbecomeBenjamin'swife.SimultaneouslylaboringassiduouslyinKeimer'sshopandgettingacquaintedwithDeborah,Benjaminbegantoassociatewiththeeducatedeliteofthecity.Hisfirstbigopportunityoccurredasastrangetwistoffate.Hisbrother-in-law,RobertHolmes,wasanavalcaptain.AtthebehestofFranklin'sfamily,Robertwrotetheyoungapprentice,urginghimtoreturntoBoston.Hisparentswereworriedthattheirsonlackedtheskillstosucceedindependently.However,thejourneymanwrotehisbrother-in-lawback,discussinghismotivationsforleavinghisfamilybehindand用心爱心专心describinghisgrandplansforhislifeinPhiladelphia.Bypurechance,HolmesshowedFranklin'slettertooneofhiscloseacquaintances,GovernorKeithofPennsylvania.Thegovernorwasstruckbytheprecocityoftheyoungapprentice.Infact,KeithpaidavisittoKeimer'sshopinsearchofthe18-yearoldjourneymanprinter.Overaglassofwineatalocaltavern,theGovernor,bynowfullyimpressedwithBenjamin'sintelligenceandmasteryofwords,madeaproposal.KeithcomplainedabouttheincompetenceofthetwoPhiladelphianprinters.IfBenjaminwaswillingtoestablishhisownprintingbusiness,theGovernorpromisedthathewouldhavethelucrativeprivilegeofprintingofficialgovernmentdocuments.Benjaminwasflatteredbythefaiththepoliticianinvestedinhim.However,helackedthecapitalessentialtoinitiatehisenterprise.GovernorKeithwrotealettertoJosiah,Franklin'sfather,explainingthesituationand,withtheletterinhand,BenjaminventuredbacktohisBostonhome.Nevertheless,Josiahwasunconvincedandunwillingtofinancehisson.ReturningtoPhiladelphia,BenjaminfoundGovernorKeithadamantinhisproposal.HenowpromisedtoprovideFranklinwiththefundshimselfandinsistedthathetraveltoLondontoestablishbusinessconnectionsandpurchaseapress,types,andotherequipment.Meanwhile,Benjamincontinuedhisrelationshipwit...
