As an inventor, statesman, philosopher, and writer, Benjamin Franklin left his mark on American life in innumerable ways. From his early days as a printer’s apprentice to his final days as a diplomat in France during the American Revolution, Franklin’s life had a grand and epic sweep. He embodied the best ideals of the Enlightenment and the colonial values of industry and prudence, serving the new nation in a time of great turbulence with humility and grace.