Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

History of United States 109

Jeffrey Francway

April 22, 2008

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Benjamin Franklin was an American printer and publisher, author, inventor, scientist, and who was a diplomat born on January17th 1706 and died in Philadelphia on April 17th 1790. Franklin was one of ten sons of seventeen children of a man by the name of Josiah who was a soap and candle maker and mother by the name of Abiah, a discrete and virtuous woman (Van Doren 7). Ben was raised in a Puritan heritage household which they had left to avoid England's Restoration Era of 1683. Franklin had a blend of Puritan heritage, Enlightenment philosophy, and New World environment ideals. Ben Franklin had a fascination public and interpersonal life. Franklin's life consisted of his reflections of his own behaviors and embracing curiosities of the whole moral and physical world around him (Ford 60-64). Ben married in September 1st 1730 to a woman by the name of Deborah Read. Franklin was an apprentice under his brother and a printer of a Boston newspaper called the Pennsylvania Gazette, the Almanac of Poor Richard and a good share of printing in that era (Van Doren 69). Ben also a philosopher, who followed the secular world view of Sir Isaac Newton, John Locke and favorite author named Joseph Addison. Franklin was a civic leader starting in 1727 who helped in putting together the Organization of Junto, a club of tradesmen in Pennsylvania who helped with civic improvements of that city which were: a library, fire company, college, insurance company and hospital (Van Doren 63). Ben was also an inventor who discovered bifocals and the ability to harness electricity through a lightening bolt in 1746 (Phelps 485). These achievements were just a small fraction of what Franklin was capable of doing. Ben was also a politician and Diplomat contributing of the affairs of the Continental Congress, drafting and signer of the Declaration of Independence and The Treaty of Paris during the American Revolutionary period of 1774 to 1783.

First of all, The Continental Congress were a group of people from all over the 13 colonies of America who came together to discuss liberty from Great Britain. The first Continental Congress was a group of 56 delegates from 12 colonies (all except Georgia) who met in Philadelphia in September of 1774. The delegates came together to act in response to the Intolerable Acts, which limited the political and geographical freedom of the colonists that were adopted by Parliament in 1774 (Rakove 42-62). The Second Continental Congress met on May 10th, 1775 at the State House in Philadelphia, soon after the conflict of Lexington and Concord. There were several new delegates including: John Hancock from Massachusetts, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. Benjamin Franklin from Pennsylvania who was elected after coming back from England in May of 1775 at almost 70 years old (Isaacson 291). Franklin didn't say much in the Second Continental Congress, he slept most of the time. Ben wanted to have Joseph Galloway who proposed the creation of the First American Congress which Franklin supported, stating that it would be parallel to that of Parliament and both would be loyal to the King and would have some independence of their own in the colonies but that plan was rejected by the King. Benjamin Franklin publicly announced thereafter his wishes for independence due to such events as personal slights, dashed hopes, betrayals and the accretion of hostile British acts. Benjamin Franklin was irritated by Great Britain's authority by being cheeky in his writings and rebellious in his manner. Franklin believed in the philophosophy of Enlightenment thinking who believed that liberty and tolerance were the foundation for civil society. Once it was clear that Great Britain was intent on subjecting the colonies of trading rules and taxes imposed from them then there was only one course left, which was Independence (Isaacson 295). One last appeal was sent to parliament known as the Olive Branch Petitiqon that Franklin signed for the consensus of the Congress. Franklin sent William Strahan a letter denouncing him of his part as member of the Parliament and Majority which has doomed his country America to destruction. Strahan wished that Franklin would come back to England with "proposals of accommodations" but, Franklin wanted Strahan to send back "proposals for peace" instead. Anyway, Franklin became an ardent opponent of Great Britain in the Continental Congress (Isaacson 297-298).

Second, Benjamin Franklin was one of several who served as committee member for drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. Some of the other members were Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, and John Jay who were among those that served on the committee. The Congress “adopted” the New England military forces that had converged upon Boston and appointed George Washington commander in chief of the American army on June 15th, 1775. It also acted as the provisional government of the 13 colony-states, issuing and borrowing money, establishing a postal service, and creating a navy. Although the Congress for some months maintained that the Americans were struggling for their rights within the British Empire, it gradually cut ties with Britain until separation was complete. On July 2nd, 1776, with New York abstaining, the Congress “unanimously” resolved that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.” Thomas Jefferson was the one who drafted the Declaration but, Franklin edited a small part of it with resounding importance. Two days later, Congress solemnly approved this Declaration of Independence. The members of Congress including Benjamin Franklin, signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4th, 1776. The Congress also prepared the Articles of Confederation which, Ben Franklin had started doing along with the Perpetual Union on July 21st of that year (Isaacson 299). It was not completed until late 1777 which even after that took another four years before the colonies would ratify it.

Finally, in the summer of 1778, to negotiate peace plans for the American Revolution, the Congress decided that one person should represent America and Franklin was elected to do so. Pennsylvania did not like having Franklin represent America due to fears of his lack of loyalty to America because he was fond of the French. During this time, Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin as Minister Plenipotentiary who was suffering from gout (Isaacson 383) Word of his appointment as Minister