HIST408A

To a remarkable extent, Franklin witnessed and created the world that seems familiar to us now. His long life (1706-1790) spanned most of the eighteenth century, making his incredibly varied accomplishments a superb measure of the cultural and historic changes in this era. What's more, he began his life at a modest level but then ended it as the most famous American of his day, his self-made manhood making him an excellent case study of the differences between ordinary and extraordinary lives, typical and atypical experiences, common and elite cultures.