“There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war...This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favor, as a reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry.”

American polymath, 18th century

Benjamin Franklin was an American polymath of the 18th century, active as a physicist, philosopher, statesman, and inventor. He is remembered as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He helped draft and sign the Declaration of Independence and later served as the first postmaster general. His work spanned science, public life, and practical invention, placing him among the most versatile figures of his era.