Communication--Contributions+of+Franklin,+Benjamin

Franklin’s Contribution to Communication Early in America, social networks lacked organization and structure. Information was shared by others through trivial means, most of which took weeks to reach their destination, and some that failed to ever reach their target (Melius 28). Benjamin Franklin’s history of bettering existing methods of communication improved nearly all aspects of American life in the 1700’s. From his days of Postmaster of Philadelphia, to his apprenticeship system with the printing press, Franklin continually discovered new and efficient ways that people all over the world could communicate with each other (Franklin Autobiography 136). Benjamin Franklin’s systems of printing increased the importance of newspaper writing, supported the broadcasting of different beliefs and political information, and increased the capacity and compass of American printing. The social network that Franklin rediscovered was vastly different than the one we know today. Communication in the mid 1700’s was vastly different from the modern day communication we utilize now. In the 1700’s, a letter took up to fourteen days to be sent from Philadelphia to New York (Melius 36). This can now be accomplished in around two to three days, and sometimes even overnight. This aspect of our social culture was strongly influenced by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was distraught by the current postal system, which at the time had no real order (Wright Benjamin 122). Post offices were set up in hotels and taverns, while the mail was carried by friends, slaves, and sometimes by ship. Writers of the letter would create as many as five copies and release them with different messengers in hopes that one copy would make it to the desired destination (Melius 45). Since this method was far from efficient, Franklin sought to improve it. Franklin was appointed the position of Postmaster of Philadelphia in 1737, a position that he saw as a way to drastically change the way the colonies communicated (Miscellaneous). He immediately created more direct routes for mail to be delivered, as well as more consistent ways for it to be carried (Lopez 38). He created a lasting legacy of postal roads that helped improve the speed of the postal service by cutting most delivery times in half. Not only did times increase, but efficiency and reliability were also greatly improved (Wright Benjamin 123). While Franklin may not have been the only one to seek to improve communications amongst the colonies, he clearly saw the importance of rapid and well-organized communication. Franklin’s contributions to the United States  postal system helped create a productive process that is still being used today. Even though modifications are continually being made, the initial concept of direct routes and efficient methods are still in place. The importance of communication through the press was also a critical part of Benjamin Franklin’s contribution to early American society. Not only did Franklin address the issue of how communication was sent out, but how the forms of communication were made. Benjamin Franklin was exposed to importance of communication and the written word at an early age. His older brother James had a printing office in Boston that inspired Franklin to eventually change the way people received news and information (Franklin Complete 118). He believed in the power of the press as a way to educate and inform a mass amount of people. Cartoons and pictures were commonly featured so that everyone could understand the news he was delivering even when people had not learned to read (Durham 185). This experience led him to purchase and print one of his most famous publications, //The Pennsylvania Gazette//, in 1729 (Autobiography 152)//. // Ben, “had the opportunity to shape opinion in his adopted city” (Dray 26) with the gazette now under his arm. While he was informing the people, he was also revolutionizing the printing industry. In order for him to mass produce and distribute press to the public he began to use the apprenticeship system. Apprentices provided cheap labor that could be used to create a printing network (Durham 190). A printing network was used as an informal web of printers whose skill, work ethic, and political ideology impressed Franklin. Printers depended on their communication with other printers. Without any sort of structure, or printing network, they would economically fail. Franklin was the first to organize these relationships, and in doing so, the printing network was born (Durham 192). These networks depend on several things, including that the printer must have adequate financial support so that it is able to survive economically. While Franklin supplied the capital and materials for his workers to set up shop his partners formed associations and allowed the printing publication to become economically feasible (Durham 194). This signaled a movement away from dependence on political and social elites who had used the press to distribute their views and biased opinions. Two years after owning his famous newspaper, Benjamin stated, ‘the business of printing has chiefly to do with men’s opinions” (Wright Benjamin 93). Franklin’s method distributed more control to the working class and helped increase political movement in the lower classes. Franklin and his partner’s actions created influential networks among printers allowing more news to be public and accessible (Wright Benjamin 94). He was also quoted as stating, “Printers are educated in the belief, that when men differ in opinion, both sides ought equally to have the advantage of being heard by the publick” (Wright Benjamin 94). Franklin’s press structure allowed a larger scope of information to be distributed as well as a broader view of opinion to be available to the general public. Franklin knew that a leader was needed in order for the printing networks to survive, so he took upon the role. He helped printers financially and when political or social problems arose, Franklin would be there for them. These networks would extremely important to the American press in the eighteenth century. Franklin’s hard work and determination aided printing networks to grow, creating a reliable source for economic growth. Benjamin Franklin’s innovations in publishing are still being used today. While newspapers and publications don’t necessarily rely on apprentices and old printing presses, they do rely on large crews of writers and the modern day version of the printing press (Printing 1). The idea    Franklin     had is still the same, allowing people to express their opinions regardless of their social class and political views. Modern day publications allow writers to offer their own opinions and give them a chance to share them with the American public. Franklin’s influence on printing and communication has clearly affected the way society has distributed information and opinions. Benjamin Franklin was a master of getting everything out of anything. He understood the power of the newspaper, and how easily people’s minds could be persuaded through daily readings. Through this, he decided to print advertisements in his //Pennsylvania Gazette// (Wright Philadelphia 32). He harnessed the power of advertising to its fullest extent when he became postmaster. This is largely due to the public seeing the postmaster’s newspaper as the most knowledgeable newspaper of the time. Later in his career, he advertised his stove in the Gazette (Williams 225). Franklin realized he had to take advantage of advertising, and began publishing pamphlets to promote his stove. This new form of publication caught the public’s eye, and attracted many customers. Due to the success of these pamphlets, Franklin sought to begin a school that taught advertising. Benjamin Franklin’s success with pamphlets was later used in the French and Indian War. General Braddock was in dire need of 150 wagons, and asked Franklin for help. In quick time, the army got its wagons through the use of ads that were distributed as far and wide as possible (Williams 225). // Poor Richard’s Almanack // was written by Benjamin Franklin to be the “vehicle for conveying instruction among the common people” (Weinberg 31). The book came to be the second most profitable book to the Bible, thus sending a wave of confidence amongst the people of America that writing could be extremely profitable. The gold mine, //Poor Richard’s Almanack//, was composed of information regarding mathematical, weather, and astrological information, as well as poems and sayings (Franklin Poor Richard’s). Franklin’s opinionated book showed the public how easy it was to communicate your own view efficiently. While Benjamin Franklin may not be the sole reason communication has developed since the 1700’s, he has arguably had an incredible influence on the changes. His printing and communication practices influenced the structure of the early American printing trade and revolutionized the way information was distributed throughout the public. He also was able to allow the working class to distribute their ideas and place less influence on upper class opinions. His organization of the postal system contributed to the more efficient flow of not just mail but ideas and thoughts through the community. Overall, he impressed the importance of journalism and communication upon early American society. Works Cited Franklin, Benjamin. __The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin__. New York: P F Collier & Son Company, 1909. Franklin, Benjamin. The Complete Works of Benjamin Franklin. New York and London: G. P. Putnam's, 1887-88. Franklin, Benjamin. __Poor Richard's almanac__. New York City: McKay, 1961. Miscellaneous Benjamin Franklin Collections, American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, PA. Dray, Philip. __Stealing God's Thunder__. New York City: Random House, 2005. Durham, Jennifer L. __Benjamin Franklin A Biographical Companion__. ABC-CLIO biographical companion, 1997. Lopez, Claude Anne. __The Private Franklin : the man and his family__. New York City: Norton, 1975. Melius, Louis. __ The American Postal Service: History of the Postal Service from the Earliest Times __. Washington D.C.: National Capital P, 1917. Weinberger, Jerry. __Benjamin Franklin unmasked on the unity of his moral, religious, and political thought__. Lawrence: University P of Kansas, 2005. Williams, Julie H.   __ The Significance of the Printed Word in Early America __. Greenwood P, 1999. Wright, Esmond. __Benjamin Franklin: his life as he wrote it__. First Harvard UP, 1996. Wright, Esmond. __Franklin of Philadelphia__. Cambridge, Mass: Belknap P of Harvard UP, 1986. "Printing." // Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia //. 28 Feb 2009, 20:00 UTC. 16 Mar 2009 .
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