We usually think of Ben Franklin as an American patriot and founding father. But his influence extended much further. Benjamin Franklin is given credit for several contributions in US history. He published Poor Richard's Almanac, launched the Library Company, invention of swim fins and bifocals and his most well known experiment with a kite and lightening to show the nature of electricity. He also served in the Second Continental Congress. Benjamin Franklin lived during a time when people rarely traveled more than 20 miles from where they were born. Franklin made eight Atlantic crossings and visited ten different countries. As a skilled diplomat, he negotiated treaties with Great Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, and Spain. He also helped secure America's place in the world. As a respected scientist and scholar, he was granted honorary degrees in England, Scotland, and America. Benjamin Franklin could also be considered an Enlightenment thinker, he exchanged letters with some of the smartest people in the 18th century.