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The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin


 

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is the traditional name for the unfinished record of his own life written by Benjamin Franklin from 1771 to 1790; however, Franklin himself appears to have called the work his Memoirs. Although it had a torturous publication history after Franklin's death, this work has become one of the most famous and influential examples of autobiography ever written.

Sources

  • J.A. Leo Lemay & P.M. Zall, eds., Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography: A Norton Critical Edition (NY: Norton, 1986). ISBN 0393952940. (Used for most information in article, including quotes from Autobiography text, history of publication, and critical opinions.
  • Benjamin Franklin: Writings, ed. J.A. Leo Lemay (NY: Library of America, 1987). ISBN 0940450291. (Notes on p. 1559 are source for dating of Part Four.)