The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin recounts Franklin’s life from his childhood in Boston through his development as a printer, writer, businessman and civic leader in Philadelphia. Written in several stages between 1771 and 1790, it describes his apprenticeship, move to Philadelphia, travels to London, establishment of a successful printing business and involvement in public institutions and community projects.

The work also explains Franklin’s approach to self-education and personal improvement. He describes habits of industry, frugality and careful planning, as well as his well-known programme for cultivating thirteen virtues through systematic self-examination. Although unfinished and selective in its coverage, the autobiography presents Franklin’s life as an example of advancement through discipline, learning and practical judgement. It is also an important account of social, commercial and intellectual life in eighteenth-century British America.