Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790) was an American printer, publisher, writer, naturalist, inventor, and statesman. One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, he participated in the drafting of the United States Declaration of Independence and was one of its signers. During the American Revolution, he represented the United States as a diplomat in France and negotiated both the Treaty of Alliance with the French and the Peace of Paris, which ended the American War of Independence. As a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention, he participated in the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. Franklin's life was marked in large measure by a desire to advance the community. He founded the first volunteer fire departments in Philadelphia as well as America's first lending library and constructed a particularly effective, low-smoke wood stove. He also made scientific discoveries, including inventing the lightning rod. The son of a soap and candle maker, he first made a career as a printer before retiring from business at the age of 42 and entering politics. His social rise - promoted by his autobiography, which was printed in numerous editions - was regarded for a long time as a prime example of how one can work one's way up through one's own efforts and with discipline.