Autobiografía de Benjamin Franklin
About this book
Benjamin Franklin’s memoir of his life, from his Boston boyhood and apprenticeship as a printer through his rise as a leading citizen of Philadelphia, his self-improvement projects, scientific experiments, and public service.
Begun in 1771 as a letter to his son, it is the most widely read of American memoirs — plain, practical, and quietly funny.
Available editions
Read a sample
Querido hijo, siempre me ha encantado aprender pequeñas historias sobre mis antepasados.
Dear son, I have always loved learning small stories about my ancestors.
Quizás recuerdes las preguntas que les hice a nuestros familiares cuando estabas conmigo en Inglaterra.
You may remember the questions I asked our relatives when you were with me in England.
También hice un viaje para aprender más sobre nuestra familia.
I also made a trip to learn more about our family.
Creo que te gustaría saber sobre mi vida, incluyendo muchas cosas que aún no conoces.
I think you would like to know about my life, including many things you do not know yet.
Tengo una semana de tiempo libre aquí en el campo, así que estoy escribiendo esto para ti.
I have a week of free time here in the country, so I am writing this for you.
También tengo algunas otras razones para escribir.
I have a few other reasons to write as well.
Nací pobre y desconocido, pero construí una vida cómoda y me gané una buena reputación.
I was born poor and unknown, but I built a comfortable life and earned a good reputation.
About the author
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) was a printer before he was anything else — and he was nearly everything else besides: writer, scientist, inventor, diplomat, and a founder of the American republic. He began this account of his life in 1771 as a letter to his son and worked at it, between revolutions, for the rest of his days. He never finished it; it became the most widely read memoir in American letters anyway.
The Autobiography is where the self-improvement book begins — the thirteen virtues, the daily schedule, the famous arrival in Philadelphia with three puffy rolls. Franklin’s plain, good-humoured prose has stood as a model of clear English for two and a half centuries, which is precisely what makes it a fine book to learn the language by.