Frederick Douglass and Benjamin Franklin The story of America's success recognizes the contributions of two of its famous leaders. The two are considered heroes although obvious differences between them abound. The two figures are regarded with comparable respect even though they lived their lives in different ways. However, both Benjamin Franklin and Fredrick Douglas earned their status through a path of hard work. This article, therefore, seeks to discuss the experiences that shaped the lives of both Franklin and Douglas. It also tries to analyze the life of Fredrick Douglas presented by John Stauffer. In comparing the two personalities, I will place a lot of emphasis on the role education played in making Franklin and Douglas's lives better. In this regard, it is worth noting that although their education was not that formal, it shaped their lives immensely. Franklin's education, for example, came while working under his brother James as a printer's apprentice during his teenage years. On the other hand, Douglas' tale is much darker, but describes the use of ingenuity coupled with natural talent to achieve respectable stature (Zafar 43). It is clear that Franklin's persuasive rhetorical skills, which came in handy, in writing and oratory skills were characterized by induction into printing apprenticeship and excellent access to a variety of books. Criticism in later years would argue that his love of books and learning caused Franklin to become a skilled orator, thinker, author, and statement maker. Simply put, access to books and a love of learning shaped Franklin's character to a large extent. This article also attempts to compare the autobiographies of Benjamin Franklin and Fredrick Douglas. In an e......middle of paper......ple, Benjamin Franklin developed his own writing style which was adopted by many liberal writers which greatly shaped Franklin's political views. It is also worth noting that Benjamin took a lot from his father Josiah who he considered well-rounded. He was particularly impressed by her ability to make good judgment a skill seen by other locals. In conclusion, we can say that the path to aristocracy of the two leaders, as we have seen, was an arduous task. These paths are somewhat similar with Franklin pioneering and Douglas following in his footsteps. It is also evident that Douglas, through his actions in the fight against slavery, was considered a representative man. This is due to the fact that he not only represented slaves in America but in the entire world. The lives of Fredrick Douglas and Benjamin Franklin are well worth examining.