Credit: Courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Benjamin Franklin's (1706-1790) support of public and private education, and cultural institutions extended far beyond Philadelphia. Recognizing the important role education needed to play in maintaining William Penn's vision, Franklin exerted tremendous influence on the refinement of education and civic culture in late eighteenth century Pennsylvania. Franklin's innate curiosity and his fascination with science and secular philosophy led to a mini-Renaissance in Philadelphia that added to the capital city's luster in the new nation.
