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Primary sourceBook1749

Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania

Benjamin Franklin · 1749

Franklin's 1749 pamphlet arguing for a practical, English-language education, which led to the founding of an academy that became the University of Pennsylvania.

Franklin wrote this pamphlet himself, proposing the education reforms that led to the school he helped found.

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Full text (en.wikisource.org)

About this source

What it is

This is a facsimile of a pamphlet written by Benjamin Franklin in 1749. In it, Franklin laid out a plan for a new kind of school in Pennsylvania.

Why it matters

Franklin believed education should be practical and useful, not just focused on Latin and Greek like most schools of his time. His proposal led directly to the creation of an academy in Philadelphia, which eventually grew into the University of Pennsylvania. This shows how Franklin's ideas about self-improvement and usefulness shaped institutions that still exist today.

Look closer

  • What kind of education do you think Franklin wanted young people to receive, based on the title?
  • Why might a practical, English-language education have been unusual for the 1740s?
  • What does this pamphlet suggest about Franklin's own beliefs about learning?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Benjamin Franklin on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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