Benjamin Franklin quiz

More questions about Benjamin Franklin

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1. 1 Easy

   Which body of water did Benjamin Franklin cross eight times?

   Answer: Atlantic Ocean

   Why: Franklin mapped the Gulf Stream with his cousin Timothy Folger, a Nantucket whaling captain who knew the warm current well.

2. 2 Medium

   Why did Benjamin Franklin jokingly suggest people wake up earlier?

   Answer: Conserving candle wax

   Why: His 1784 Journal de Paris letter put the saving at 96,075,000 livres, and joked that cannon fired in every street would wake the sluggards.

3. 3 Hard

   Which device did Franklin attach to his carriage?

   Answer: odometer

   Why: Franklin fixed one to a carriage wheel around 1763 to measure post roads; he did not invent it, the device dates back to antiquity.

4. 4 Easy

   What type of eyeglasses did Benjamin Franklin invent?

   Answer: bifocals

   Why: Franklin sketched his double spectacles for George Whatley in 1785: two pairs of lenses cut, half of each kind set in the same circle.

5. 5 Medium

   Why did Franklin encourage people to eat more 'Indian corn'?

   Answer: Promoting economic independence

   Why: Writing as 'Homespun' in 1766, Franklin shot back at a London critic that a johny cake 'hot from the fire' beats a Yorkshire muffin.

6. 6 Hard

   What was the real reason Franklin took his grandson to France?

   Answer: Training for diplomatic service

   Why: Franklin later asked Congress to give Temple a diplomatic post, hoping he would succeed him as ambassador to France, but Congress refused.