Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

The author recounts his ancestry and modest childhood, early schooling and apprenticeship in printing, and the decision to leave home for a provincial city where he established himself as a printer and publisher. He narrates business growth, civic initiatives, practical experiments in electricity, and a disciplined project to attain moral improvement through a systematic chart of virtues. The narrative mixes anecdotes with reflections on social customs, the publication of popular maxims in an almanac, engagement in local and colonial public affairs, participation in defense and diplomatic service, and practical advice on industry, frugality, and public betterment.