inventor of bifocals and the Franklin stove, as well as an authoritative scientist on subjects such as lightning, ocean currents, and meteorology. In his distinguished career as a diplomat and statesmen, Franklin guided the colonies toward revolution and unity, navigating them through the treacherous waters of European diplomacy.
Franklinâs greatest legacy, though, is the ethos of self-made success that he advocated and exemplified. To him, the pursuit of happiness was best understood as an unalienable right to pursue property; and consequently he understood the accumulation of wealth as evidence of a âmoral strivingâ that benefitted society. 11 This notion was fundamentally democratic; a man was to be judged solely by what he produces, not by his social class or some other artificial criteria. As Franklin advised immigrants, âPeople do not inquire concerning a Stranger, What is he? but, What can he do?â 12
Franklin suggested the governmentâs rightful role was to defend liberty and opportunity, allowing man to improve his condition through his own initiative: âI think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it.... The less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.â 13
Ingenuity and discovery, as Franklin showed by example, were part and parcel of this American work ethic. The relentless quest for scientific discovery and economic opportunity also provided an animating force for exploring and settling America, from the Northwest Ordinance to Jeffersonâs Louisiana Purchase to the Lewis and Clark expedition.
The Founders considered innovation and invention so important that they wrote protections for inventors into the Constitutionâthe document that articulated our societyâs most precious and protected liberties. The Patent and Copyright Clause reads, âTo promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.â
The American republic was conceived as a commercial republic in which hard work and innovation would create a level of prosperity unrivaled in history. As Alexander Hamilton observed in Federalist no. 12, âThe prosperity of commerce is now perceived and acknowledged by all enlightened statesmen to be the most useful as well as the most productive source of national wealth, and has accordingly become a primary object of their political cares.â
The Founders, especially Benjamin Franklin, revered work as a moral virtue and a great habit of liberty. With industry and ingenuity, work was
the great means by which the American people could achieve independence and pursue happiness.
BENJAMIN RUSH AND THE HABIT OF CIVIL SOCIETY
The Founders recognized that citizens of a free republic would have to accept extraordinary responsibilities. In European monarchies, the people were subjects who owed loyalty and obedience to their superiors, while the Court and the aristocrats were duty bound, at least in theory, to guard the best interests of commoners and of society as a whole. A republic, by contrast, required that each man, serving as his own sovereign, act not only in his own best interest but also in the interest of his fellow countrymen.
Benjamin Rush, a physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, exemplified a commitment to his fellow citizens in his own life. In Philadelphia, he helped lead The Sons of Liberty, a society that arose in all the colonies dedicated to educating and organizing the people to champion liberty. The Sons of Liberty played a vital role as a meeting place for like-minded patriots to develop the ideals of the Revolution. The group also engaged in collective actionsâits members staged the famous Boston Tea Party, and some of its adherents helped tear down the statue of King George III on Bowling
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