did ben franklin invent electricity
1600s | 1700s | 1800âs. Benjamin Franklin was one of most innovative Americans of all time. In deed, his work and experiments resulted in several important discoveries and inventions including electricity, bifocal glasses, a usable battery and many more. Ben Franklin believed electricity could be harnessed from lightning. In 1752, he devised an experiment to test his theory. Although details of the experiment remain sketchy to this day, Franklin originally wanted to test his theory atop a spire that was to be built on a Philadelphia church.