Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack was first published in 1733. Facing heavy competition from similar publications, Franklin took the unusual and controversial approach of injecting witty, unexpected entries between standard tables of tides, planetary motion, weather predictions and other facts. In the debut edition, faithfully reproduced here, he included under the heading Principal Kings of Europe, "Poor Richard, an American Prince, without subjects, his wife being Viceroy over him, born October 23, 1684, age 49." The Almanack went on to become the most popular book of it's kind in colonial America and was published annually for the next 25 years. This facsimile offers a unique and entertaining look at 18th century American life and humor.
This facsimile edition of the original Poor Richard's Almanack, representing the first year of its publication, offers a unique view into the lives and thoughts of Americans who came almost three centuries before us. This book will be offered in an affordable format, so that it can be made available for historians of all ages.