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The Society For Useful Knowledge: How Benjamin Franklin And Friends Brought The Enlightenment To America (2013)

by Jonathan Lyons(Favorite Author)

3.53 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1608195538 (ISBN13: 9781608195534)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Bloomsbury Press

review 1: This book shed new light on the economic situation in the colonies before and after the Revolutionary War. These were not the things that were talked about in US history classes. The dependence on England put the colonists in a desperate situation that led to the kind of frustration that eventually caused them to revolt. The difference between the practical-minded colonists and the classical theorists in Europe actually resulted in many scientific advancements. Again, something that was overlooked in most history classes.
review 2: Really liked this book. It was filled with a lot of information about the history of our country before the revolution. One of the topics is how Benjamin Franklin along with a couple of other men. Thought that a new type of school ... moreshould be started. One that focused on englished, reading, math and then at some point history, astronomy. He also thought that a school should also teach trade works, glass making, printing, leather making, wood working etc. He felt along with some other men that this would free up the colonies from Britan. This was 20 years before the war. Once the school came into place a he had a set of guide lines and came up with an elected board from the area.He still felt there should be some type of control. He main ideas were to have no teaching of classics, latin, greek, for example. That middle class and lower would be provided free education.This worked for a short time for after he got this started he was given an award from a college in Germany and another one in France. For his work in science,(electricity). By the time he came back the school was changed by the board, to teaching the classics and not teaching the middle class. He wrote about the waste the the students will learn nothing that will be useful for them to grow, build, or make things. His whole ideas were taken over and his friends who also thought liked he did had passed on. He still saw that the colonies were to dependent on England and encourage people to start making there oen items. By the time the war started there was a company making cloths, a few ship builders, one company working on gun powder, and of more tools were being made. So they did not have to pay taxes, or duties. Which he wrote to people is another tax. I could stil go on but you should read this book. It is a book that should be used in school. less

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