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Benjamin Franklin - Printer

Benjamin Franklin -- PrinterAs a child, I loved to read, write, and collect books; so when it came time to choose a trade, my father decided I would become a printer. At the age of twelve, I started as an apprentice with my older brother James. At the age of twenty-two, I opened my own printing shop. My newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette became very popular and profitable. A few years later, Poor Richard’s Almanack was released and soon became the best selling book in the colonies, selling over 10,000 copies a year. Soon, I became the most active printer in the colonies and was appointed the official printer of Pennsylvania. My duties included printing money, laws, and documents for the colony. I then became the public printer for Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland. I also helped establish newspapers in New York, Connecticut, and two islands in the West Indies.

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