Founded by Jared Sparks in the mid-19th century, the Library of American Biography is a landmark series of biographies of prominent Americans. Featuring works by luminaries such as Henry Adams, John Lothrop Motley, and Washington Irving, the series remains an unparalleled resource for students of American history. This volume, edited by Sparks himself, includes biographies of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.