Benjamin Franklin Autobiography: 7 Reasons He Wrote His Story

By Robert Brady | August 17, 2007

Much has been written about the Benjamin Franklin autobiography. With good reason, it stands as a stellar example of autobiography writing.

His work finds followers in historical, literary circles and business circles.

Even in his greatness, Benjamin Franklin remained down to earth and approachable. Perhaps Benjamin Franklin’s simple approach to life is what makes his autobiography so readable and appreciated by millions of readers.

Luckily for us, he left an outline of why he wrote his life story. He doesn’t tell his story to show how marvelous he is. Instead, his reasons for writing show his humility.

These are his purposes:

1. He’s always derived “Pleasure in obtaining any little Anecdote or my Ancestors.”

He likes finding stories about his own ancestors. He even notes that he often traveled to obtain these stories.

2. He “imagin[es] it may be equally agreable [sic] to you to know the Circumstances of my Life.”

Benjamin Franklin hopes that others will find gratification in his words, as he has found it in others.

3. “Having emerg’d from the Poverty and Obscurity in which I was born & bred, to a State of Affluence & some Degree of Reputation in the World, and having gone so far thro’ Life with a considerable Share of Felicity, the conducing Means I made use of, which, with the Blessing of God, so well succeeded, my Posterity may like to know, as they may find some of them suitable to their own Situations, & therefore fit to be imitated.”

He wishes to share the details of his life that led him to success.

4. “[T]he next Thing most like living one’s Life over again, seems to be a Recollection of that Life;”

Next to reliving his life, recollecting his life is the next best thing. Do you agree?

5. He wants “to make that Recollection as durable as possible, the putting it down in Writing.”

It’s not good enough to keep the story in his mind. Or even to pass the story on in the oral tradition. He wants it to persist for generations.

6. “I shall indulge the Inclination so natural in old Men, to be talking of themselves and their own past Actions, and I shall indulge it… perhaps I shall a good deal gratify my own Vanity.”

My father-in-law likes to say, “The older I get the better I was!” This statement highlights our own vanity. But if we don’t get our life on paper, it won’t persist.

7. Lastly, “I speak of thanking God, I desire with all Humility to acknowledge, that I owe the mention’d Happiness of my past Life to his kind Providence, which led me to the Means I us’d & gave them Success.”

We all have something to which was can ascribe our success. For Benjamin Franklin, it was God. As you write, don’t forget to thank the God of your success.

Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography is an indispensable resource in figuring out how to write your autobiography.

Review our article on Starting an Autobiography . Robert Brady’s Autobiography Workshop is a superb tool for writing an autobiography .
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