BF was born into poverty but his family were business owners. When a business was not bringing in the money to support BK's 16 siblings, his father would start another business more suitable for the needs of the town. Bottom line he was flexible and willing to learn another craft to feed his wife and kids. Because of the number of kids in the family, BF's father could not afford a college education for him.
BF knew this first hand and set out to find ways of making money, he was not an heir of wealth or status. Most of us are not in this America. What made him different from many was his ability to look for inventions or improvements that were needed and set about to make these happen. He made a lightening rod and sold many to businesses and homes to prevent fires. He discovered early on he loved to read and his friends from a ll socioeconomic levels were readers too. He discussed new ideas.
He became so good at (after many mistakes) making money and diversifying his income that his Puritan community and some of his family members began to fault him for being materialistic. This could not have been further from his character. He knew to elevate his lifestyle he had to work for it and he did quite successfully. Every wrong turn, every loss of hard earned money, every time he trusted the wrong person to help, he got up and tried again with a positive attitude. Every bad report given of him, he ignored and moved on. He learned from his mistakes so as not to repeat them.
In time his own brother who tried to help him get started as a teen, (who beat him when he was his apprentice) and was the catalyst for BF to leave Boston would later part ways with BF. BF returned later richer and in fine clothes than this brother and he became jealous. His brother now shunned him. BF wished him well and moved on.
BF saw the opportunities given to the wealthy and their offspring. He did not get jealous of their property and want them to give it to him or other poor people, he realized we all had an opportunity here to become the champion of our own prosperity, this is what makes America great, OPPORTUNITY.
His father never saw the wealth or the position BF grew into in his life. He had 17 children to care for and a wife and a business yet he did not give up and beg. He kept working.
This is the key to freedom, dependence on one self. The minority of dependence on the government should be very low in this country, we seem to have crossed the line or it at least is blurry. Maybe as seen by BF's father, there should be birth control offered and taught by all religions. BF's father and family would have benefited from birth control measures. Too many kids can definitely make you unable to provide for them. And there are those who argue if there was birth control then we would not have known BF, but it would not have mattered. Life will go on no matter...
Thankful for America and its citizens always.
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