The Founding Father With Some Strange Ideas

 

Benjamin Franklin was one of America’s greatest heroes.

He helped write the Declaration of Independence and secured French support during the Revolution. He was brilliant, practical, and endlessly curious.

He was also… a little weird.

Franklin  believed in daytime naps. He argued humans weren’t meant to work nonstop and that a short afternoon sleep improved health, mood, and productivity.

He also promoted nudity for health. Franklin believed fresh air was essential to the body and regularly took what he called “air baths,” sitting naked in front of an open window to let the air circulate. He insisted it was good for circulation and overall well-being.

Then there was the bird.

Franklin suggested that the turkey, not the bald eagle, should be America’s national symbol. He thought eagles were lazy thieves that stole food from other birds. Turkeys were respectable, brave, and genuinely American.

The idea didn’t stick.

Franklin remained a national icon—remembered for lightning, liberty, and wisdom.

The naps, nudity, and turkeys usually get left out.