I’m looking for some information on human societies’ knowledge of electricity. I only know of the comic book version of Ben Franklin’s story, which is to say I know almost nothing. What did people think of lightning before the days of modern electricity? When did people begin to know what electricity really was? If you know of any good references on this topic, I’d appreciate it.
You might want to take a look at some of the lectures and writings of Michael Faraday, the most important pioneer in electromagnetism in the early 19th century. There’s a biography of Faraday here: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1225/1225-h/1225-h.htm#2HCH0001
William Gilbert’s treatise on magnetism and electricity (ca. 1600) is often considered the first really scientific treatment of the subject. It’s called “On the Loadstone”: http://archive.org/details/ontheloadstonean030331mbp
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