Seventeen-year-old Ben Franklin resented working for his brother James. He planned to run away from Boston, sail to New York, and live his own life. Ben had signed a contract with James promising to work as a printer’s assistant until he was twenty-one. He was an indentured servant. Running away seemed his only way out.

At first, Ben liked his job assisting James. Ben loved to read. He read everything printed in the shop including all the latest news and gossip in Boston.

One day, James found a letter from a widow named Mrs. Silence Dogood under the print shop door. James printed the letter and it became an overnight success. The letters continued. People in Boston loved reading Mrs. Dogood’s feisty opinions on everything. But there was no real Mrs. Silence Dogood. When James discovered it was Ben writing the letters, their relationship went downhill fast.

One evening, Ben snuck away and set sail on a ship for New York. He paid for his passage by selling some of his cherished books. Ben landed in New York almost penniless.

As a skilled printer’s assistant and a writer, he looked for a job in a print shop. But there was only one printer in the entire city. And that printer already had an apprentice. There was still good news. The printer’s son needed an apprentice at his print shop in Philadelphia.

Back on board another ship, this one in poor condition, Ben sailed for Philadelphia. Soon, the ship was hit by a massive storm. Its sails shredded. The crew lost control. A man fell overboard. Ben reached over the boat’s side and pulled the man back in. He saved the man’s life.

After thirty hours tossed around by high waves, the ship landed in New Jersey. Ben walked fifty miles to the Delaware River and then helped row a boat to Philadelphia. Ben reached the city, “…fatigued with traveling, rowing, and want of rest.”

In a few days, he found that the New York printer’s son hired an assistant. But another printer had recently opened a shop and he needed assistance. Ben began his new life in Philadelphia, the city he made his home, when he ran away.

The noblest question in the world is What Good may I do in it? – Benjamin Franklin

If you like this article, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author

To learn more about Ben Franklin read: Ben Franklin Invented Swim Fins at: https://barbaralowell.com/ben-franklin-invented-swim-fins

Books for Kids: Ben Franklin https://barbaralowell.com/books-for-kids-ben-franklin