Benjamin Franklin: The Original American Idol Quiz

Answer: Boston

At the time of Franklin's birth, Great Britain and her colonies went by the Julian calendar, which differed by eleven days with the Gregorian calendar of today, as well as the designation of March 25 as New Year's Day. Thus, when England switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1752, Franklin's date of birth changed from January 6, 1705, to January 17, 1706.

Answer: Rolls of bread

In his 'Autobiography', Franklin states that, upon arriving in Philadelphia from Boston, he was walking the streets of the Quaker town in clothes he had been wearing for sometime, with his pockets full of his shirts and stockings, looking for a place to stay and a meal to eat. Purchasing three huge rolls from a baker, he proceeded down Market Street, eating one roll while carrying the others under each arm.

It was then, according to Franklin, that while "passing by the door of Mr. Read," Deborah, who was standing at the door, "saw me, and thought I made, as I certainly did, a most awkward, ridiculous appearance."

Answer: His son, William

Franklin's use of kite and key in a thunderstorm came about as a result of his impatience to test his theory that lightning, then as now, a dangerous and deadly natural element, could be somewhat tamed by the use of metal rods on top of buildings to attract the electrical charge away from church steeples and buildings.

He had originally planned to use the steeple of Christ Church in Philadelphia upon completion of its construction, but grew tired of waiting.

Answer: New Jersey

The appointment came about when Franklin decided to return from London after serving as agent for Pennsylvania, where William served as his assistant. It was designed to be used as a way of swaying Franklin's sympathies to the British and away from the increasingly disloyal colonies. William later sided with the Loyalists during the Revolutionary War, eventually fleeing to England in 1782.

Answer: Ebenezer Goodfriend

Franklin's most famous literary creation, "Poor" Richard Saunders, came about as a way for Franklin to supplement his income as a printer with almanacs. Almanacs were an excellent way for inventive printers to make extra money. In fact, they regularly outsold all other printings, including the Bible, because they had to be printed annually. "Poor Richard's Almanack" averaged sales of 10,000 per year, and was published by Franklin for 25 years, beginning in 1732.

Answer: Boston and Philadelphia

Franklin stated in his will that he wished to help others who started as he did, poor but ambitious. The 2,000 pounds that was split between the cities was money he had earned when he served as president of Pennsylvania. Franklin calculated that the annuities, after one hundred years, should be worth 131,000 pounds, of which 100,000 could be used by Boston and Philly to fund public projects.

The remainder would be kept in the trust, earning interest, and would be worth 4.061 million pounds after another one hundred years, which would then go into the public treasury.

In 1990, when the terms of the will had been met, the trusts, while not meeting Franklin's expectations, still totaled a tidy sum of nearly $5 million for Boston, and $2.3 million in Philadelphia.

Answer: Adams

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Joseph Ellis has described Adams as the founding father who was in constant motion while all others were posing for posterity. Adams, it seems, both admired and respected Franklin for what he could do, and had already done, for the cause of the Revolution, but also found in Franklin a laxity of morals that he, raised in the Puritanical New England of the mid-18th century, found inexcusable.

Answer: Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston

As much, it seems, as John Adams despised Franklin's seeming lack of morals, Jefferson found in Franklin a kindred spirit, a sort of spiritual father or grandfather.

Answer: False

While Franklin himself had two sons, only one, Francis, or "Franky", as the family called him, was with Deborah. He died of smallpox at the age of four, in 1736. Franklin's eldest son, William, was illegitimate, a fact that Franklin never tried to hide.

The identity of William's mother, however, was a secret that Franklin took to his grave, never revealing who was William's mother. Ben and Deborah also had a daughter, Sally.

Answer: His walking stick

Bequeathing his crab-tree walking stick to Washington, Franklin wrote in his will, "To my friend, and the friend of mankind, General Washington. If it were a Sceptre, he has merited it, and would become it." The cane now resides in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.