The Significance of Puritanism in Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin

 Benjamin Franklin is one of the most influential people all the time. He is an American born who dedicated his life to his country in several different fields.  He discovered many things about electricity. His scientific experimentation becomes the basis of the single fluid theory. Not only his founding in electricity that affects American civilization but also other inventions such as bifocals, Franklin Stove and lighting rod. He is also the Founding Fathers of the United States. At that time, he served as the governor of Pennsylvania and he represents the colony to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776. His career as a statesman continues. Later he is sent to France and becomes United States Ambassador for France. Furthermore, Franklin also served as American Minister to Sweden.

Born as a candle-maker’s son, Franklin attended school only until he was ten because his family did not have enough money. From then on, he taught himself to read and to write. He also works for his own father and brother, from his experience becoming his brother’s apprentice, he learns the printing trade. Since he is good at this field, he starts publishing a newspaper, Pennsylvania Gazette, and writes Poor Richard’s Almanac. Poor Richard’s Almanac written under pseudonym “Poor Richard” or “Richard Saunders,” it contains seasonal weather forecasts, practical households hints, poems, sayings, mathematical exercises and puzzles. His works are very popular among the colonies, it is also make him rich. From the definition of almanac itself, it is a yearly publication that includes all sort of information. In Poor Richard’s Almanac, the readers can find a lot of things that are very useful in everyday life, there are factual information, useful encouragement and advice. Moreover, one of the subjects that made Americans are waitfor his work is the practical advice about life. The other key point to remember is, there are influences of puritanism in Poor Richard’s Almanac, they are hard work, self-scrutiny and self-improvement.

As American, their  behaviour based on belief that unconsciously embedded deep on their values and thought patterns. Benjamin Franklin’s writing in Poor Richard’s Almanac contains the puritan values, which are hard work, self-scrutiny and self-improvement. In his work, he inserts at least one of those values, it can also contains the combination of two or all of those values. In his “On Acquiring a China Bowl & Silver Spoon” he describes how a modest family can achieve a luxury by working hard. Besides the effort of hardworking. there must be the wife’s blessing according to an English proverb “He that would thrive, must ask his wife.” As the head of a family, a husband has an obligation to support the family,. He works in order to get paid while a wife should keep his husband accompany and keep her hand busy. To support her husband, the wife can help the husband’s work. According to this story, the assignments are done by the wife are folding and stitching pamphlets, tending shops and purchasing old linen rags for the paper-makers. Besides, a wife is also managing all the house works since she does not have a servant.  In the beginning, this family was very modest, it can be seen from the condition of their house,. The furniture they own is plain and simple, they cannot afford the expensive one yet. Their modesty lifestyle also showed by bread and milk for breakfast without any tea, while at that time tea is the representation of luxury. The other case that shows a modesty is the use of cheap dinnerware. Because of the efforts, hard works and also the wife’s support, gradually the economic conditions of this family becomes better. There are processes that this family goes through and feels by. Until finally, the wife feels the need to give her husband better dinnerware which are a china bowl and a silver spoon, in order to respect her husband. Since the husband has been working hard, the wife can afford to buy three and twenty shillings dinnerware without the husband knowledge. It is more expensive than the old porringer with a pewter spoon which costs just two penny.

 For self-scrutiny value, it can be found in Franklin’s “Thirteen Virtues” which contains the goodness that can be done in life. This virtue might be little things, but every big things often have small beginnings. For this little things, when it is applied to life it give impacts others and also yourself. Franklin also includes a calendar that used to record when people do run the virtues within a certain period. The calendar can help people to introspect themselves because the notes written are neat and consistent.Those thirteen virtues are made to encourage person to live humble and simple. For example, on five of the thirteen virtues, it talks about the goodness that one person can do for themselves. The first is, temperance, it means do not eat too much and do not drink until drunk, just enough to fill the stomach. Second, order, getting all your works and responsibility on time. Third, resolution, it demands people to complete their plans. Fourth, industry, it means that a person should use their time effectively. The last but not least, cleanliness, this virtue means that a person should maintain personal hygiene and cleanliness their place. The other eight virtues related to how one person maintain good relations with others and also do things that are useful to others. To begin with, it is silence and sincerity. It means that a person should speak only the good things and it must has benefit for the speaker and the listener. Telling the truth to people in order to take care of their feeling is important yet if the truth will hurts people, do not speak it at all. The next one is frugality which means that a person should spend the money wisely. Do not buy something that has no purpose. Justice also becomes one of the virtues that tell people to not hurt other people for their own benefit. After that, there is moderation which means hold yourself to hate others and let them be on their own. It will make yourself calm and avoid a fight. Another virtue is tranquility that forbid people to think and to deal with unimportant things. Then, chasity which tell people to use venery only for health or babies and never hurt others. Finally, humility which means a person should be kind like Jesus and wise like Socrates.

Finally, the last thing that represent puritanism in Poor Richard’s Almanac is self-improvement which appears in “The Pride of the Americans.” At the beginning of the colony, American import a lot of things from England such as tea, fashionable clothes, fine furniture and manufacturing goods. American rely on England for those things, because they cannot make it yet. Their lifestyle also influenced and ruled by England. The commodities shipped from England are not cheap because those goods travels far, takes a lot of time and energies. Since the goods imported are expensive and luxurious, not everyone can afford it. At the same time, the Americans are wanted themselves to have an identity as an American, not Europeans but their behaviours are still similar with the Europeans. To show their pride, Americans started to explore their potential that can make them different from European and can be the identity of American. Therefore, that reason is the turning point of American who improve themselves be to be better. The identity of American is created by adjusting their social condition and geographical location. The things that are discussed above applied not only on goods but also norms and traditions.

As the concluison the writer, Benjamin Franklin, is cleverly inserting the puritan values on his work. Considering the main purpose of almanac is self-help book, the Puritanism that appears in this work leading people to do more goodness in their life. The puritanism in Poor Richard’s Almanac is hard work that require an individual to rely on themselves and work for their daily lives. The next one is self-scrutiny which means people should limit themselves in doing bad things and start to do good instead. Finally, self-improvement is important thing that people must do in order to live their life. People should raise their life achievement so they can start learn something new everyday.