Benjamin Franklin
1706 – 1790
American

Founding father of the U.S., businessman, publisher, writer, and scientist. A fascinating, protean figure, he seemed to glorify worldly success, but also taught virtue and moderation as a means to success, advice that he sometimes disregarded.

Contemporaries
1720–1772John Woolman
1742–1798James Wilson
1787–1870Emma Willard
1782–1852Daniel Webster
1759–1825Mason Weems
1758–1843Noah Webster
1732–1799George Washington
1777–1864Roger Taney
1772–1844Barton Stone
1747–1825Daniel Shays
1774–1821St. Elizabeth Seton
1745–1813Benjamin Rush
1735–1818Paul Revere
1779–1863Clement Moore
1781–1849William Miller
1639–1723Increase Mather
1663–1728Cotton Mather
1755–1835John Marshall
1736–1784Ann Lee
1747–1792John Paul Jones
1743–1826Thomas Jefferson
1767–1845Andrew Jackson
1783–1859Washington Irving
1721–1803Samuel Hopkins
1748–1830Elias Hicks
1736–1799Patrick Henry
1788–1879Sarah Hale
1787–1851Thomas Gallaudet
1766–1862Barbara Fritchie
fl. c. 1703–c. 1758Jonathan Edwards
1752–1835Nathan Dane
1789–1851James Fenimore Cooper
1788–1866Alexander Campbell
1782–1850John Calhoun
1674–1744William Byrd
1756–1836Aaron Burr
1771–1810Charles Brown
1718–1747David Brainerd
1773–1838Nathaniel Bowditch
1734–1820Daniel Boone
1782–1858Thomas Benton
1731–1806Benjamin Banneker
1771–1852Hosea Ballou
1785–1851John Audubon
1741–1801Benedict Arnold
1738–1789Ethan Allen
1744–1818Abigail Adams
1767–1848John Quincy Adams
1735–1826John Adams
1722–1803Samuel Adams