Benjamin Franklin and the Invention of Microfinance

Taylor & Francis

In life, Benjamin Franklin sought to manage debt, organize credit, build capital and promote virtue. After death, he continued this work by leaving a codicil to his last will and testament, bequeathing \u00A32,000 to Boston and Philadelphia. This study examines Franklin\u2019s codicil and the financial history of America over the 200 years since his death. > In life, Benjamin Franklin sought to manage debt, organize credit, build capital and promote virtue. After death, he continued this work by leaving a codicil to his last will and testament, bequeathing \u00A32,000 to Boston and Philadelphia. This study examines Franklin\u2019s codicil and the financial history of America over the 200 years since his death. > Introduction; Chapter 1 Franklin\u2019s Intent: The Autobiographical Origins of the Codicil; Chapter 2 Franklin\u2019s Intent: The Sources of Political and Economic Concepts; Chapter 3 Boston: The First Century; Chapter 4 Philadelphia: The First Century; Chapter 5 The Co