Benjamin Franklin: From Runaway to Founding Father

Humble Beginnings in Boston

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts, the fifteenth of seventeen children. His father, Josiah Franklin, was a candlemaker, and his family lived modestly. Formal schooling for young Benjamin ended at the age of ten, when he was pulled out to work full-time in his father’s shop.

Franklin’s mind, however, was restless. He loved reading and learning, borrowing books whenever he could. At twelve, he was apprenticed to his older brother James, a printer. This trade gave Franklin access to literature and a platform for writing, but the relationship with his brother was tense and often hostile.

The Decision to Run Away

By the age of seventeen, Franklin’s situation with his brother had become unbearable. In his Autobiography, he described James as harsh and domineering. When James refused to let him write under his own name, Franklin secretly began submitting articles under the pseudonym “Mrs. Silence Dogood.” The deception angered James when it was discovered, and their relationship further deteriorated.

Finally, Franklin made a bold and risky choice—he ran away. At seventeen, with no money, no contacts, and no permission from his family, he boarded a ship to New York City in search of work as a printer.

Homeless in Philadelphia

Franklin found no work in New York, but he heard of opportunities in Philadelphia and traveled there, arriving in October 1723. He later vividly described his arrival:

“I was in my working dress, my best clothes being to come by sea. I was dirty from my journey; my pockets were stuffed out with shirts and stockings, and I knew no soul nor where to look for lodging.” (Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin)

With no home or friends, Franklin wandered the streets, looking for food and shelter. Famously, he spent his first day in Philadelphia walking along Market Street eating three large puffy rolls—two under his arms and one in his hand—before finding a bed in a cheap boarding house.

Though not literally sleeping outdoors, Franklin was effectively homeless: he arrived in a strange city with no possessions, no steady work, and nowhere permanent to live.

Finding His Footing

Franklin quickly found work as an apprentice printer with Samuel Keimer in Philadelphia. His skill and industriousness impressed the Pennsylvania governor, Sir William Keith, who offered to finance Franklin’s own printing shop. Keith urged Franklin to sail to London to purchase equipment and supplies, promising letters of credit to support him.

But when Franklin reached London in late 1724, he discovered Keith’s promises were empty—there was no money waiting for him. Stranded in a foreign city without support, Franklin once again faced hardship. He found work as a printer, earning just enough to get by.

“I was now without money, without friends, without credit, and without employment worth speaking of.” (Autobiography)

For over a year, he lived frugally, lodging in modest boarding houses, saving what he could, and learning valuable lessons about self-reliance.

Return and Rise

In 1726, Franklin returned to Philadelphia, this time with greater skills, experience, and determination. After several years of hard work, thrift, and strategic partnerships, he set up his own printing business in 1729, publishing The Pennsylvania Gazette and, later, the immensely popular Poor Richard’s Almanack.

His business success brought financial stability, but Franklin never forgot his early struggles. His experience of arriving in a city alone, broke, and without a home instilled in him a lifelong appreciation for hard work, frugality, and community support.

Public Service and Philosophy

Franklin’s personal hardships informed his civic vision. He founded the first public library in America, established a volunteer fire department, and helped organize the Pennsylvania Hospital—all institutions aimed at improving public welfare.

His famous maxim from Poor Richard’s Almanack, “Energy and persistence conquer all things,” could have been drawn directly from his own early years of perseverance through hardship.

Reflections on His Struggles

Franklin’s Autobiography is frank about the precariousness of his youth. Reflecting on his arrival in Philadelphia, he noted:

“I was in the most pitiable condition: dirty, fatigued, friendless, and poor; yet I felt a certain satisfaction that I had taken the first step towards a better life.”

He saw his hardships not as setbacks but as the proving ground for his later achievements. His story of showing up in Philadelphia with “a Dutch dollar and a copper shilling” became an enduring symbol of self-made success in America.

Legacy of Resilience

Benjamin Franklin would go on to become one of the most celebrated Founding Fathers—diplomat, scientist, inventor, and philosopher. Yet the man who helped draft the Declaration of Independence and negotiate the Treaty of Paris never forgot his roots as a runaway apprentice and struggling young printer.

His rise from near-homelessness to international statesman is one of the most remarkable transformations in American history. For Franklin, the lesson was clear: initiative, resourcefulness, and the courage to start anew can overcome even the most daunting circumstances.

In his own words:

“Human felicity is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day.”