Deborah Franklin

Deborah was born c. 1707 to John Read, a carpenter from London, England, and Sarah White Read of Birmingham, England. Whether the child was born while her parents still lived in Birmingham, or after they moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, remains uncertain. The second of seven children, Deborah received little formal education; almost nothing else is known about her childhood. Her first husband, John Rogers, deserted her in 1725. In 1727, she heard of Rogers' death and began dating her former sweetheart, Ben Franklin. Married Benjamin Franklin in 1730 Operated a general store out of the front of Ben's print shop Raised Ben's son William as well as their own two children, Francis and Sarah Her fear of ocean voyages prevented her from traveling with Ben, so she spent many years alone in Philadelphia while Ben was in Europe. In 1774, while Ben was in England, she died unexpectedly of a stroke. Deborah Read Franklin played an important role in the founding of the United States simply by taking on the management of her family business. By doing so she allowed her husband, founding father Benjamin Franklin, the opportunity to actively pursue his role in state and national politics in the decades before and after the American Revolution. I love Deborah because maybe she didn't do very much but she helped her husband in any way she could and that's good enough!

bibilyography:

 http://www.fi.edu/franklin/family/deborah.html