REMARKABLE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

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Inventors Lincoln is the only President to hold a patent--a device that used inflatable ballasts to life a boat off shoals and sandbars in low water. Franklin is famous for his inventions, such as the Franklin stove, and his world-famous experiments with electricity.

Awkward Relations With Father  Neither Lincoln nor Franklin was close to his father.  Neither of them attended his father's funeral.

Weak Ties With Family  Contact was infrequent for both Lincoln and Franklin.  Even though historians point out that Lincoln was fond of his step-mother, neither she nor his father ever visited the Lincoln family in Springfield even though they lived in Illinois.  Lincoln was fond of his sister and remained close to her until she died during childbirth in her twenties. Franklin maintained friendly relations with his sister until her death. One of Franklin's brothers died when he was young.  Lincoln's brother, Thomas, died in infancy.

Loved Reading  Lincoln borrowed or bought every book he could find. So did Franklin. At the time of his death Franklin's library was probably the largest private library in America. 

Wrote Poetry  It is not well known but both men loved poetry, and both tried their hand at writing it.  They both started their writing during adolescence, and continued throughout their lives.  The Gettysburg Address is actually poetry, and reveals Lincoln's competence with poetic structure.

Wrote Anonymous Letters And Articles  Lincoln and Franklin wrote and had published caustic and often sarcastic anonymous letters, usually for political purposes.  Franklin was using anonymous letters and articles for political purposes right up to the time of his death.

Received Little Schooling  Lincoln went to school about one year.  Franklin ended his schooling at age ten. 

Early Manual Labor  Lincoln stated in an approved biography:  "Abraham, though very young, was large of his age, and had an ax put into his hands at once, and from that till within his twenty-third year, he was almost constantly handling that most useful instrument--less, of course, in plowing and harvesting seasons."  Franklin was apprenticed as a printer at age 12, and worked at that trade for years.

Early Adventures  Lincoln took a flatboat down the Mississippi River to New Orleans on a trip full of excitement, including a fight in which he barely escaped death. As a youth, Franklin broke his apprenticeship agreement and left Boston for Philadelphia where he began his career completely on his own.

Strong Sex Drive  Though the information was suppressed for years, Lincoln was sexually active prior to marriage. So was Franklin; he fathered an illegitimate son  and was strongly attracted to the ladies throughout his life.

Athletes Lincoln was a champion wrestler and loved to play ball.  Franklin was an excellent swimmer and exercised regularly with weights.  Both loved to demonstrate their physical prowess.

Storytellers  Both men were renowned for their ability to tell stories. 

Intensely patriotic  They were both passionate about making the great experiment succeed.

Deists  Both were skeptics about many orthodox beliefs. Both prayed and knew the Bible. Neither joined a church.  Both became devout. Publicly, both called for days of fasting and thanksgiving. 

Stoics  One of Lincoln's favorite sayings was: "What is to be will be, and no cares of ours can arrest nor reverse the decree." Franklin's:  "Things happen, after all, as they will happen."

Masters Of Invective  Both possessed sharp tongues and pens.  They both had the ability to demolish an opponent, and did it often.

Excellent Debaters Lincoln's debates with Stephen Douglas created a sensation, and made him a national figure.  Franklin's debating is less well known, but he was regarded as a formidable opponent.

Peacemakers And Harmonizers Of Conflict  One of Lincoln's gifts was his ability to maintain friendships across political and ideological lines. Franklin did this again and again during disputes involving the colonies, England, France, and notably at the Constitutional Convention.

Targets Of Hatred  Neither Lincoln nor Franklin was as widely loved then as now. During their lifetimes, both were vilified and despised by their many enemies.  And, of course, Lincoln was hated unto death.

Able Politicians  Lincoln was known as "Honest Abe," and deserved that name; but he also was one of the shrewdest politicians in the nation's history. Franklin spent the last decades of his life in elected and appointed posts.  He was a master politician.

Marital Relations  Neither man divorced but both were separated from their wives during long periods of time.  Lincoln spent months on the judicial circuit, and when he was home the relationship was strained.  Franklin maintained a friendly relationship with his wife, but they were separated for years at a time--she in Philadelphia and he in England or France.  Franklin was in England when she died; he apparently made no serious effort to be with her during her last days.

Opponents of Slavery  It is well known that Lincoln had a deep personal hatred of slavery and eventually issued the Emancipation Proclamation; Lincoln vigorously supported the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery.  Franklin's opposition to slavery, though not well known, was equally dramatic and vigorous.  Franklin became president of the first abolitionist society in America, which had been founded by Quakers in 1775.  At the time abolition was an extremely unpopular cause in the North as well as the South. Franklin's last public act was to publish an anonymous piece under the name "Historicus," which lampooned a pro-slavery speech by a U.S. Senator from Georgia.  Franklin died three weeks later.

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 THE WORDS LINCOLN LIVED BY.  CLICK HERE TO ORDER

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INDEX TO ALL PAGES
Abraham Lincoln quotes
More About Abraham Lincoln: Resources For Further Study
Is George W. Bush the next Abraham Lincoln?  Lincoln-Bush compared
George Washington quotes and commentary on leadership style
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt quotes and commentary on leadership style
War quotes
Ronald Reagan quotes, exclusive interview
"The Diversity Creed"; Why I Wrote "The Diversity Creed"
Diversity: How To Make Diversity Work In Your Organization
Remarkable Similarities Between President Abraham Lincoln And  Benjamin Franklin
Ronald Reagan: His Big Break   Exclusive Interview
The Lincoln-Roosevelt Connection
Civil War Quotes: U.S. Grant's Leadership Style
How To Do Business With Americans:  Forgive Their Blunders
The Americans:  Who Are They And How Did They Get This Way?  

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