Portrait of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

1706-1790

Founding polymath. Poor Richard's wit.

  • Politics
  • Science
  • History

An AI reconstruction grounded in primary sources — not the real person.

Source Library

Every answer is grounded in these documents — Benjamin Franklin's own words.

  • Franklin's Way to Wealth (Poor Richard Improved)

    Book · 1758

    Public domain
  • Franklin Constitutional Convention Speech (1787)

    Speech · 1787

    Public domain
  • The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

    Book · 1791

    Public domain
  • Franklin: Writings

    by Benjamin Franklin

    Book

    Public-domain text · modern edition

What Benjamin Franklin has been asked

Answers built from Benjamin Franklin's own writings.

Questions about this AI

Is this really Benjamin Franklin?
No. It is an AI reconstruction grounded in Benjamin Franklin's primary sources. It is not the real person, and it says so on every answer.
Where do the answers come from?
Every answer is built from the documents in the Source Library on this page, such as speeches, letters, books and other writings. The passages it relies on are quoted and linked.
What happens when the record is silent?
The answer says so. Each answer carries a confidence label (Documented, Inferred, or Outside the Record) instead of guessing.