The Way to Wealth
Benjamin Franklin
Franklin wrote this advice during the economic growth and optimism following the Seven Years' War, a time when the promise of prosperity was within reach for those willing to work for it. His message contrasts sharply with the aristocratic belief in inherited wealth and privilege. Instead, he champions the self-made individual, shaped by diligent labor and careful saving. This democratic ethos laid the groundwork for America's belief in the power of individual effort to shape one's destiny.