Benjamin Franklin, American Statesman

Benjamin Franklin was one of the leading intellectuals of his time and one of the most consequential individuals of the 18th century. As a thinker, Franklin espoused the virtues of Puritanism while championing the tolerant values of the Enlightenment. As a diplomat he petitioned the English Parliament on tax grievances and advanced relations with the French, securing their military aid for the war against England. He was a writer, scientist, statesman, and political philosopher. As one of the Founding Fathers he helped draft and signed the Declaration of Independence, and as an inventor, his greatest creation was arguably the United States of America.