The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Characters

Benjamin Franklin

Franklin is the main character of this book and, in many ways, he's its only real,...

Sir William Keith

Governor Keith is one of the "worst" characters in the book, but even he can't keep Franklin down...

James Franklin

Franklin's admittedly biased in this portrait of his brother: he paints James as a cruel, bossy...

Josiah Franklin

Even though he doesn't show up much in the autobiography, Franklin's father instills a lot of...

William Franklin

Franklin directs the first portion of his Autobiography as a letter to his first-born son,...

Deborah Read

We learn almost nothing about Franklin's wife, Deborah, and most of what we know comes...

Mr. Denham

Denham has a small but important role as the friend and benefactor who helps Franklin out during...

Governor Denny

Governor Denny is really more of a catalyst, or an excuse for making things happen, than a...

General Braddock

General Braddock is notable for his interactions with Franklin during the French and Indian War....

John Collins

John Collins is one of Franklin's childhood besties, and his first writing buddy/intellectual...

Peter Collinson

To Franklin, Collinson is a fellow scientist and inventor. They meet in Philadelphia, where...

Samuel Hemphill

Of all the religious figures Franklin meets, Hemphill's one of the few that gets him into church....

George Whitefield

Franklin seems almost more fascinated by Whitefield as a talented talker than as a preacher. In...

Samuel Keimer

Keimer is Franklin's first real boss who's not a family member. Although Franklin originally goes...

Hugh Meredith

Another of Franklin's friends and sometimes business partners, Meredith meets him when they're...

Abel James and Benjamin Vaughan

Franklin begins Part 2 of his Autobiography by including letters from these two friends of his....

Andrew Bradford

Franklin originally goes to Philadelphia hoping to work for Bradford, but Bradford doesn't have...

James Ralph

Another of Franklin's friends, Ralph travels with him to England when they're young men. He's bad...

General Loudon

General Loudon delays Franklin when he's on his way to England to argue on behalf of the Assembly.