In American cultural mythology, Franklin is often thought of as one of the most "American" of the founding fathers. Why is this so? What characteristics does Franklin exhibit in his autobiography that seem particularly "American" (any way you want to defi

Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography may mark the creation of the American Dream, understanding America as a place where—free from the rigid class construction and generational prejudices of European history—any person could attain wealth and distinction simply by working hard enough. The tale that Franklin creates for himself is the prototypical rags-to-riches story of a young man without a penny to his name rising to become a distinguished statesman and wealthy inventor. Inherent within Franklin’s attentiveness to portraying this theme is the underlying critique that such a story would be the exception rather than the rule if America ever moved toward a more European system of government and economics.