Susanna Dey
19 November 2011

Benjamin Franklin

Say the name Benjamin Franklin and you may picture a chubby man with spectacles holding a kite during a lightening storm. Perhaps you picture him a older man with spectacles propped up on his nose standing in a great room full of distinguished gentlemen signing the Declaration of Independence. Both of these facts about Benjamin Franklin's life would be true. However, there was so much more to Mr. Franklin. He was a diplomat, a statesman, a scientist, and a writer. His contributions to our society were more than just to America but to the world. For the purpose of this paper we will just discuss the inventions he produced which had a world impact. (Fish 2).

Ben Franklin was
Mr Franklin used the name “double spectacles” for bifocals (Isaacson 426). His invention of bifocals have allowed many people to do every day activities so much easier. Such as being able to drive and look out the window and see clearly in the distance as well as glancing down to look at the odometer without having to switch to your other pair of glasses. Now people can sit in the restaurant and read the menu and look around the room while using the same pair of eyeglasses. As you can see many daily tasks are easier due to this invention. Furthermore, people only need to purchase one pair of eyeglasses versus two pairs. These days people are prone to have more complications from eyestrain due to frequent use of computers and other computer-like systems. A person who does not need bifocal glasses cannot appreciate the value of this invention in every day use. For Mr. Franklin, he found another benefit to his bifocals. He once said, “This I find more particularly convenient since my being in France, the glasses that serve me best at table to see what I eat, not being the best to see the faces of those on the other side of the table who speak to me; and when one's ears are not well accustomed to the sounds of a language, a sight of the movement in the features of him that speaks helps to explain; so that I understand French better by the help of my spectacles.” (Brands 622).

This paper contains only