Statesman, scientist, philosopher, printer, and civic leader, Benjamin Franklin was also the most powerful writer of his time. From his first appearance in print, in the guise of the eccentric, opinionated, voluble Silence Dogood 1722, to his last published article, a searing satire against slavery 1790, he covered every aspect of the question of America with radiant clarity, wit, and penetration. pThis Library of America collection begins with items written by Franklin during his early years in Boston and London 1722-1726, including the complete Silence Dogood essay series. The volume also includes the famous Busy-Body essays 1728-1729 many of the news articles and essays he penned after he purchased the failing iPennsylvania Gazettei which eventually became the most widely read newspaper in the colonies and various political satires, pamphlets, and personal correspondence written while he lived in Philadelphia from 1726 to 1757. The book concludes with material he published while a d