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.

What Franklin does not record

The final sentence of the Autobiography (which lacks a period in the original manuscript) takes us only up to 1763. Thus, many of the most significant portions of Franklin's life--especially his contributions to the Revolutionary War effort--are not dealt with by the author. We know that Franklin intended to cover more ground because there is an outline of the Autobiography written by him and copied by Henry Drinker, a clerk for Franklin's friend Abel James. Although Franklin's original draft outline is lost, Franklin had Drinker's copy of the outline with him when he wrote Parts Two through Four, and also made handwritten corrections to it. This outline ends with a reference to the Treaty of Paris, which Franklin helped negotiate, so the obvious inference is that Franklin's death prevented his proceeding further with the Autobiography.

Related Topics:
1763 - Treaty of Paris

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