Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolution

Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolution
Author: Jonathan R. Dull
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
Total Pages: 119
Release: 2010-12-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0803269528

The inventor, the ladies’ man, the affable diplomat, and the purveyor of pithy homespun wisdom: we all know the charming, resourceful Benjamin Franklin. What is less appreciated is the importance of Franklin’s part in the American Revolution: except for Washington he was its most irreplaceable leader. Although aged and in ill health, Franklin served the cause with unsurpassed zeal and dedication. Jonathan R. Dull, whose decades of work on The Papers of Benjamin Franklin have given him rare insight into his subject, explains Franklin’s role in the Revolution, what prepared him for that role, and what motivated him. The Franklin presented here, a man immersed in the violence, danger, and suffering of the Revolution, is a tougher person than the Franklin of legend. Dull’s portrait captures Franklin’s confidence and self-righteousness about himself and the American cause. It shows his fanatical zeal, his hatred of King George III and George’s American supporters (particularly Franklin’s own son), and his disdain for hardship and danger. It also shows a side of Franklin that he tried to hide: his vanity, pride, and ambition. Though not as lovable and avuncular as the person of legend, this Franklin is more interesting, more complex, and in many ways more impressive.

The Political Trial of Benjamin Franklin

The Political Trial of Benjamin Franklin
Author: Kenneth Lawing Penegar
Publisher: Algora Publishing
Total Pages: 282
Release: 2011
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0875868517

Benjamin Franklin, it seems, was a reluctant revolutionary. In tracing the course of his political transformation, this book will explore the social and political understandings and misunderstandings that both sustained and divided Britain and its colonies in North America. At the center of the story is Benjamin Franklin's decision in late 1772 to use a cache of personal letters that had fallen in his lap in London for revelation in Massachusetts - essentially a Wikileaks for 1772 - and the consequences of that decision for himself and for the cause of an amicable settlement of differences between the colonies and the British government. The personal side of Franklin's life in London is explored fully enough for the reader to appreciate both his strong attachment to the place and the inevitable sense of loss from which he reluctantly retreated in the spring of 1775 upon his departure from Britain and return to Philadelphia. In the tradition of narrative history, this book combines two main stories, each one complementing the other. Woven into the chronological and social history is a tale with an air of genuine suspense and mystery about it, revolving around Franklin's publication of private correspondence with political ramifications. The "leak" was a shock to all, and had consequences for the prospect of avoiding a deeper rift with Britain, a cause Franklin pursued with increasing frustration in the last few years before the American Revolution. There are notable editorial innovations in the book. The appendices contain full transcripts of significant documents of the time (a first) as well as a thorough exploration of the mystery over the identity of Franklin's source for the Hutchinson letters. A practical 'time-line' is included showing major correlative events.This work will fill a partial void in the late colonial period in American history and will deepen our understanding of the role of the American with the most extensive experience of British political and cultural sensibilities of the time.

The American Revolution: 1745 - 1784

The American Revolution: 1745 - 1784
Author: George Washington
Publisher: Powerthink Publishing
Total Pages: 358
Release: 2014-04-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781936472031

Perhaps no other revolt against the mother country, giving birth to a land, parallels the American Revolution. For, from this revolution on a land separated by thousands of miles and an ocean, new ideas and identities were born. These ideas have sparked the call of freedom around the world as the American Revolution has inspired self-determination seekers for over two hundred years. We hear their voices as we read their words, untainted by historical speculation of scholars and promoters of historical theories. Their words and actions set the stage for the making of the American government, and the creation of the single most important documents offering freedom to its citizens ever put by men into words on paper; the Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States of America. Included Works: (over 80 accounts) Two Sieges of Louisbourg by Bradley Washington's Expedition to the Ohio by Washington Benjamin Franklin's Plan of Union by Franklin Braddock's Defeat by Washington Deportation of the Acadians of Nova Scotia by Bradley Wolfe Defeats Montcalm at Quebec by Captain Knox In Opposition to Writs of Assistance by Otis Stamp Act and its Repeal by Lechy Pitt's Protest Against the Stamp Act by Pitt Declaration of Rights by Delegates from Nine Colonies Repeal of the Stamp Act by Secretary Conway Brant to Lord Germaine by Brant Examination Before the House of Commons by Franklin Daniel Boone Migrates to Kentucky Spanish Settle in California by Royce An Eye-witness Describes the Boston Massacre by Tudor Indentured "White Slaves" in the Colonies by Eddis Boston Tea Party by Hutchinson First Continental Congress by Adams Logan to Lord Dunmore by Logan Patrick Henry's Call to Arms by Wirt "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death" Speech by Henry Washington's Appointment as Commander-in-chief by Irving Washington Speech of Acceptance by Washington Battle of Lexington Battle of Concord by The Reverend Emerson Farewell to Mrs. Washington Washington at Cambridge Battle of Bunker Hill Paul Revere Tells of His Midnight Ride by Revere Dramatic Capture of Ticonderoga by Allen Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence Washington's Capture of Boston by Washington Writing of The Declaration of Independence by Jefferson Jefferson's Original Draft of The Declaration by Jefferson Declaration of Independence by Jefferson Why Jefferson Was Chosen To Write The Declaration by Adams A Call For Independence by Paine Siege and Capture of Boston by Washington Evacuation of New York by General Clinton Battle of White Plains by General Heath Washington, Discouraged, Appeals to Congress by Washington Battles of Trenton and Princeton by General Washington Samuel Adams on American Independence by Adams Battles of Trenton and Princeton by Lecky Defeat and Surrender of Burgoyne Lafayette in the American Revolution Washington at Valley Forge by Waldo Letters of Lafayette and Washington France Recognizes American Independence by Franklin Warning Against Conciliation by Henry Capture of Vincennes by Clark Wayne Surprises and Storms Stony Point by Washington Capture of the Serapis by the Bon Homme Richard Arnold's Treason by Washington and Greene Andre, Facing Execution, Writes to Washington Execution of Andre by General Heath Last Days of the Revolution by Madison Washington's Services in the War by Lecky Battle of Yorktown by General Cornwallis Washington Reports the Yorktown Surrender by Washington Articles of Capitulation, Yorktown Explaining the Treaty of Paris by Adams, Franklin, Jay and Laurens Meaning of American Democracy by Jean and de Chastellux Washington Resigns His Commission To Congress by Rev. Gordon Washington Bids His Army Farewell by Washington Treaty of Paris Negotiations

Runaway America

Runaway America
Author: David Waldstreicher
Publisher: Hill and Wang
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2005-08-10
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1466821523

Scientist, abolitionist, revolutionary: that is the Benjamin Franklin we know and celebrate. To this description, the talented young historian David Waldstreicher shows we must add runaway, slave master, and empire builder. But Runaway America does much more than revise our image of a beloved founding father. Finding slavery at the center of Franklin's life, Waldstreicher proves it was likewise central to the Revolution, America's founding, and the very notion of freedom we associate with both. Franklin was the sole Founding Father who was once owned by someone else and was among the few to derive his fortune from slavery. As an indentured servant, Franklin fled his master before his term was complete; as a struggling printer, he built a financial empire selling newspapers that not only advertised the goods of a slave economy (not to mention slaves) but also ran the notices that led to the recapture of runaway servants. Perhaps Waldstreicher's greatest achievement is in showing that this was not an ironic outcome but a calculated one. America's freedom, no less than Franklin's, demanded that others forgo liberty. Through the life of Franklin, Runaway America provides an original explanation to the paradox of American slavery and freedom.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Author: Benjamin Franklin
Publisher: First Avenue Editions ™
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2016-01-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1512405264

Between 1771 and 1790, American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin sat down to record the important events of his life, from his childhood in Boston to his work as a printer in Philadelphia, to his trips to Paris and his plans for the first public library. The story of the invention of the Franklin stove, the first Poor Richard's Almanac, and his experiments with electricity are all included here. His "Project for Moral Perfection"—a list of desirable virtues and steps to achieve them—influenced the modern self-help genre. Hundreds of years later, Franklin's account of his rise from middle-class obscurity to become a world-renowned scholar and civic figure continues to promote the American Dream. First published in 1791, this unabridged version of Franklin's autobiography is taken from the 1909 copyright edition.

Somersett: Or Why and How Benjamin Franklin Orchestrated the American Revolution

Somersett: Or Why and How Benjamin Franklin Orchestrated the American Revolution
Author: Phillip Goodrich
Publisher: Phillip Goodrich
Total Pages: 642
Release: 2020-06-24
Genre: History
ISBN: 1734911719

Everyone knows about the Revolutionary War, but few know the true story of Benjamin Franklin's secret plan to turn the northern and southern colonies against their oppressors, and how the freeing of one slave, Somersett, was the catalyst for the colonies to come together against the crown.In 1757, Benjamin Franklin cared most about the security and prosperity of his beloved adopted home of Philadelphia. Threatened by the French during King George's War and with little help from the proprietor of Pennsylvania, the Penn family, Franklin sought assistance in London to force Thomas Penn's hand. However, at every turn he found no encouragement, leading Franklin to develop a secret plan to free Pennsylvania and ultimately all thirteen colonies.Launching this secret plan required politically motivating all the colonies, each with vastly different individual interests. Ultimately, it was two very different historical events that provided the motivation and the eventual success of Franklin's plan.Meticulously detailed and with supporting notes, Somersett tells the real story behind the origins of the Revolutionary War and explains how several well-known but random events during the war culminated in the creation of the United States of America.

The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin

The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin
Author: Gordon S. Wood
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2005-05-31
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0143035282

“I cannot remember ever reading a work of history and biography that is quite so fluent, so perfectly composed and balanced . . .” —The New York Sun “Exceptionally rich perspective on one of the most accomplished, complex, and unpredictable Americans of his own time or any other.” —The Washington Post Book World From the most respected chronicler of the early days of the Republic—and winner of both the Pulitzer and Bancroft prizes—comes a landmark work that rescues Benjamin Franklin from a mythology that has blinded generations of Americans to the man he really was and makes sense of aspects of his life and career that would have otherwise remained mysterious. In place of the genial polymath, self-improver, and quintessential American, Gordon S. Wood reveals a figure much more ambiguous and complex—and much more interesting. Charting the passage of Franklin’s life and reputation from relative popular indifference (his death, while the occasion for mass mourning in France, was widely ignored in America) to posthumous glory, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin sheds invaluable light on the emergence of our country’s idea of itself.

Benjamin Franklin in London

Benjamin Franklin in London
Author: George Goodwin
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 396
Release: 2016-01-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0300220243

An account of Franklin's British years.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin
Author: Ryan P. Randolph
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
Total Pages: 116
Release: 2002-12-15
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 9780823957514

Traces the life of Benjamin Franklin, discussing his accomplishments and contributions as a printer, inventor, politician, philanthropist, and scientist.

The Common Cause

The Common Cause
Author: Robert G. Parkinson
Publisher: UNC Press Books
Total Pages: 769
Release: 2016-05-18
Genre: History
ISBN: 1469626926

When the Revolutionary War began, the odds of a united, continental effort to resist the British seemed nearly impossible. Few on either side of the Atlantic expected thirteen colonies to stick together in a war against their cultural cousins. In this pathbreaking book, Robert Parkinson argues that to unify the patriot side, political and communications leaders linked British tyranny to colonial prejudices, stereotypes, and fears about insurrectionary slaves and violent Indians. Manipulating newspaper networks, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, and their fellow agitators broadcast stories of British agents inciting African Americans and Indians to take up arms against the American rebellion. Using rhetoric like "domestic insurrectionists" and "merciless savages," the founding fathers rallied the people around a common enemy and made racial prejudice a cornerstone of the new Republic. In a fresh reading of the founding moment, Parkinson demonstrates the dual projection of the "common cause." Patriots through both an ideological appeal to popular rights and a wartime movement against a host of British-recruited slaves and Indians forged a racialized, exclusionary model of American citizenship.