Where are Franklin's ideas about productivity/industry still found today? Do you think American workers are ‘Franklinian’? Has the modern world and multitasking ruined the Franklin model?
Franklin, while not the pioneer of the idea of an American work ethic, did much to change it from its Puritan roots of predestination. He secularized the American work ethic, and established a series of rules and adages as to how to be wealthy. Many of the adages Franklin once established are still around today in American society, albeit less prevalent. Franklin may not be quoted daily at markets around America, but some are still frequently quoted and held to be true. For instance, one adage that may not be said daily but is still quoted is the adage “A …show more content…
Great Britain during the American Revolution was one of the largest if not the largest empires the world had ever seen. They controlled numerous islands like the west indies, Australia, part of Africa and even parts of the Antarctic. As a result, the colonists who were not numerous nor experienced in conflict needed to be unified if the had any possible chance at defending North America. Thus, patriot writers on the eve and prior needed to unify the colonists and did so by painting the Britain as a parasite, sucking on the blood of its young. Two writers in particular did this, Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Paine wrote his pamphlet “Common Sense” in an attempt to convince any loyalists or indifferents that the revolution was effectively ‘common sense’ and that regardless of social class, gender and even race, that rebelling was the smartest choice. In order to do so, Paine made abundant, almost excessive use of figurative language. He deemed England and its keepers to be “Parasites, with a papistical design of gaining an unfair bias on the credulous weakness of the colonists minds” (Paine 26) But one of Paine's images that sits in the reader's mind is his description of England’s actions, “Britain is the parent country… Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make war upon their families…” (Paine 26) The reason this use of figurative language is …show more content…
This was such a significant possibility, that the writing of such a famous document like the Declaration of Independence lacked some signatures, as the signers knew that if the war failed they would all be executed for treason by the government and monarch of England. Some famed authors during this time would directly or more often than not, indirectly, acknowledge this possibility. One author, the poet, Phillis Wheatley made the poem, “To the University of Cambridge, in New-England” in an effort to acknowledge the chance that England would actually win the revolution. The poem details how the students of Cambridge should enjoy college life to as much an extent as possible, with the lines, “Improve your privileges while they stay, ye pupils.” (Wheatley 1) This line can refer to enjoying college now, but it takes on a deeper meaning in the context of the Revolution. As the students at Cambridge are the students of wealthy merchants working with the British, they will inevitably be drawn into the war with the British and therefore should enjoy what little rights they have now, as regardless of who wins, they will have to answer directly to
Franklin, while not the pioneer of the idea of an American work ethic, did much to change it from its Puritan roots of predestination. He secularized the American work ethic, and established a series of rules and adages as to how to be wealthy. Many of the adages Franklin once established are still around today in American society, albeit less prevalent. Franklin may not be quoted daily at markets around America, but some are still frequently quoted and held to be true. For instance, one adage that may not be said daily but is still quoted is the adage “A …show more content…
Great Britain during the American Revolution was one of the largest if not the largest empires the world had ever seen. They controlled numerous islands like the west indies, Australia, part of Africa and even parts of the Antarctic. As a result, the colonists who were not numerous nor experienced in conflict needed to be unified if the had any possible chance at defending North America. Thus, patriot writers on the eve and prior needed to unify the colonists and did so by painting the Britain as a parasite, sucking on the blood of its young. Two writers in particular did this, Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Paine wrote his pamphlet “Common Sense” in an attempt to convince any loyalists or indifferents that the revolution was effectively ‘common sense’ and that regardless of social class, gender and even race, that rebelling was the smartest choice. In order to do so, Paine made abundant, almost excessive use of figurative language. He deemed England and its keepers to be “Parasites, with a papistical design of gaining an unfair bias on the credulous weakness of the colonists minds” (Paine 26) But one of Paine's images that sits in the reader's mind is his description of England’s actions, “Britain is the parent country… Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make war upon their families…” (Paine 26) The reason this use of figurative language is …show more content…
This was such a significant possibility, that the writing of such a famous document like the Declaration of Independence lacked some signatures, as the signers knew that if the war failed they would all be executed for treason by the government and monarch of England. Some famed authors during this time would directly or more often than not, indirectly, acknowledge this possibility. One author, the poet, Phillis Wheatley made the poem, “To the University of Cambridge, in New-England” in an effort to acknowledge the chance that England would actually win the revolution. The poem details how the students of Cambridge should enjoy college life to as much an extent as possible, with the lines, “Improve your privileges while they stay, ye pupils.” (Wheatley 1) This line can refer to enjoying college now, but it takes on a deeper meaning in the context of the Revolution. As the students at Cambridge are the students of wealthy merchants working with the British, they will inevitably be drawn into the war with the British and therefore should enjoy what little rights they have now, as regardless of who wins, they will have to answer directly to