Benjamin Franklin in London

After working a while for a printer in Pennsylvania, Benjamin was ready to go to London to get his printing press.

Ben went to London because the governor of Philadelphia told him that he would buy him a printing press, he just had to take some letters to put the price on the governor's bank account and he would be set.

Unluckily, the governor was known for not being dependable. When Ben got to England, he did not find any letters, and since he had no money, he could not go back to America.

He got hired at a famous printing company, and soon had saved enough to go back, but he decided against that and continued working in London. He wanted to eventually save enough to get himself a printing press, then set up shop in Philadelphia.

He soon had an even better idea. One of his friends that he had made on the ship had an importing business, which paid less than his current job, but got him free passage to America, and he would get to go to the West Indies, and travel the world.

He thought that this was a better job, and decided to go with his friend. Before he left, a rich man wanted to give him a large sum of money to teach his sons how to swim, making Ben think that a swimming school would be quite profitable, but he did not have time.