Benjamin Franklin: PA Signer of the Declaration of Independence
Benjamin Franklin was born and baptized on January 17, 1706, at Old South Church in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents were Josiah and Abiah (Folger) Franklin, of Boston, and he was the fifteenth of seventeen children, the tenth son and youngest son of Josiah Franklin. Dr. Franklin’s ancestry can be traced to England, where he learned that he was the youngest son of the youngest son for five generations. He would go on to study the different registers in England and calculated that he had approximately 1,048,576 ancestors. [1]
His father, Josiah, was a candlemaker and had intended for Dr. Franklin to become a clergyman. He was sent to Boston Latin School, but the cost was too great for his father, so he left the school after one year. Dr. Franklin would also attend George Brownell School and failed in mathematics. The rest of his education would be largely self-taught.
Before Dr. Franklin’s apprenticeship with his brother James, he worked in his father’s candle shop. It proved to be ill-suited to his intellect, and he was sent to his brother’s printing shop to learn that trade instead. In 1717, he began an apprenticeship under his brother, James, who proved to be harsh and would beat him. He committed to living frugally during this time so he could buy his own books. This frugality would stay with him for the rest of his life.
While apprenticed to James, he began to author a series of letters, now known as the Silence Doogood letters, between April and September of 1722. Mrs. Doogood was portrayed as a country widow, and Dr. Franklin would slip “her” letters under his brother’s print shop door unnoticed. Some of the good-natured advice and early political though which offered in the letters included “Without freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom, and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech, which is the right of every man as far as by it he does not hurt or control the right of another; and this is the only check it ought to suffer, and the only bounds it ought to known.” And “Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech…”[2] In total, Dr. Franklin would write fourteen essays, and his brother, James, was completely oblivious to the true authorship of the essays. Once the secret was out, Dr. Franklin ran away.
His first stop was New York, where he works with William Bradford, who sends him off to Philadelphia, where Bradford’s son has lost an assistant and needs one. Dr. Franklin was only seventeen years old at this time and walked part of the journey through New Jersey. Upon arrival in Philadelphia, he finds that Bradford’s son has no work for him. He then visits Samuel Keimer, who recently opened a print shop in Philadelphia. Keimer offers him a job, and he stays with John and Sarah Read and their daughter Deborah. Deborah initially noticed him for his unkempt appearance, which made him look almost like a beggar. While employed by Keimer, Dr. Franklin cultivates a circle of friends who are printers’ apprentices.
Keimer notices his economical approach to money, as do other people. People such as Governor William Keith, who got him to return to Boston with promises of support. Governor Keith gives him a letter, which he presents to his father, to show what he was doing. His father advises him not to set up his own print shop at this time, but to return to his former employer, Keimer, to gain more experience. But Governor Keith offered him the necessary items to start his own print shop. He advised him to travel to England, where he would receive letters of recommendation from Keith that would introduce him to a variety of prominent people. Dr. Franklin sailed to England in 1725 but discovered that Governor Keith had deceived him, and that there were no letters of recommendation or credit. He will have to work for a journeyman printer for some time to earn enough money to return to America. During his time in England, he published A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure, and Pain, which earned him some public notice.
In 1726, Dr. Franklin decided to tour Europe, but a Philadelphia merchant returning to America convinced him to travel with him. However, on the return trip, the merchant passed away, and he was once again unemployed. So, he returns to his former employer, Keimer, and eventually enters into a partnership with his friend, Meredith. After some time, Meredith withdraws from the partnership, and Dr. Franklin buys him out, becoming the sole proprietor of the business. About this time, he forms a club called the Junto so that he and his friends can sit and talk about philosophical questions. The idea behind the club was to help them improve themselves.
On September 1, 1730, he entered into a common-law union with Deborah Read. She had previously been married to John Rodgers, who had disappeared, or died, in the West Indies. Since there was no proof of his absolute death, she was not legally allowed to marry again. There were rumors that Rodgers had previously been married and, therefore, their marriage was invalid, but nothing could be found to prove them. However, she could live under Dr. Franklin’s roof, call herself Mrs. Franklin, and it was perfectly acceptable. Dr. Franklin was incredibly happy after his marriage and wrote in 1745, “Marriage is… the most natural state of man, and therefore the state in which you are most likely to find solid happiness…”[3] Both of them were extremely frugal. Two years into their marriage, they became completely debt-free.
Dr. Franklin has an illegitimate child, named William, who was born in 1730. It is unknown who his mother was, as there is no exact date of birth for him, although Dr. Franklin wrote in April of 1750 that he was about 19 years of age. Some historians believe that Deborah may be the mother, having conceived him before entering into their common-law marriage. Dr. Franklin took the blame for the illegitimate birth to save William’s mother from any embarrassment. William would go on to marry a woman named Elizabeth, who would pass away during the Revolution while William was in prison. William became the Royal Governor of New Jersey, and because of the revolution, he and his father would be estranged for the rest of their lives. Royal Governor Franklin relocated to England, where he lived the rest of his life. Dr. Franklin had urged him to resign as New Jersey’s Royal Governor in May of 1775, but William refused. They would meet again in August of 1775, but they had a falling out, and the relationship was permanently damaged. Dr. Franklin would see him again in 1785, but it was clear there was no relationship left, and they parted on polite terms. William would make sure that his lands in America were left to his son, William Temple. Governor Franklin passed away in 1813 and was buried in Saint Pancras, Parish of Saint Marylebone, London, England. Governor Franklin had two younger siblings, one named Francis Folger, who was born in October 1732 and would die in 1736 of smallpox. Dr. Franklin and Deborah were crushed. He always regretted not getting his son inoculated against smallpox sooner. Their only daughter, Sarah, was born in September 1743 and possibly died around 1790. Dr. Franklin’s only descendants are through his daughter. She married William Bache in 1767 and had seven children. Her father would note that he regretted that he could only give her £500 for her wedding clothes and furniture.
Deborah and Dr. Franklin were married for 44 years until she died in 1774, while he was overseas. He would not learn about her death until several months later.
The next couple of years were very productive for Dr. Franklin. In 1731, he became a freemason and founded the first circulating library in America while continuing to operate his successful publishing company. By December 1732, he had decided to write and publish Poor Richard’s Almanack. It would eventually be translated into French and achieve international fame. He continued to write it for the next 25 years. His introduction to the first Almanack stated:
“I might in this place attempt to gain thy Favour, by declaring that I write Almanacks with no other view than that of the publick Good; but in this I should not be sincere; and my Wife, good Woman, is I tell here, excessive proud; she cannot bear, she says to sit spinning in her Shift of Tow, while I do nothing but gaze at the Stars; and has threatened more than once to burn all my Books and Rattling-Traps (as she calls my Instruments) if I do not make some profitable Use of them for the good of my Family. The printer has offer’d me some considerable share of the Profits, and I have thus begun to comply with my Dame’s desire.” [4]
The writings were presented as being written by Richard Saunders, who used his wife, Bridget’s, advice in the Almanack. Ten thousand copies were published in America alone each year, and it was the most profitable and popular publication in this country. It was modeled on traditional almanacks but included humor and maxims along with pertinent information that was usually found in this type of publication.[5] It was said most homes during the 1700’s had only two books: the bible and Poor Richard’s Almanack because the Almanack was so inexpensive to purchase.
In addition to his printing business, he had a thriving mercantile business on the first floor of his Philadelphia home, which Deborah and her family helped run. Then, sometime in 1733, he began to teach himself French, Latin, Italian, and Spanish. A few years later, in 1736, he organized the first fire department in Philadelphia and was appointed Clerk of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
He continues to pursue a variety of interests, including publishing a paper on chimneys in 1742, and produces what would become known as the Franklin stove. And then the very next year, he helped establish the American Philosophical Society, which still exists today, and helped establish the College of Philadelphia, now known as the University of Pennsylvania.
By 1744, he had organized a volunteer association for his county. Having been appointed a Colonel in the unit, he refuses the appointment. He was elected to the Provincial Assembly and would be re-elected annually for the next ten years. Dr. Franklin then decides to retire from his printing business and forms a partnership with David Hall, one of his employees, which pays him £1000 per year for the next eighteen years. (In today’s pounds, that equate to between £140,200 and £16,620,000 or $214,374.91 and $25,413,060.30 based on historical standard of living rates versus the economic power rates.)[6] This partnership would be dissolved by 1768.
Around 1750, Dr. Franklin began to experiment with electricity. This first experiment was almost fatal. He was holding a chain between two batter jars when the lightning hit. He did not see a flash or hear a crack, but others around him did. This accident would result in swelling in his breastbone area and hand. He was sore for at least a week, due to the shock. He would continue working on electrical experiments through 1752, when he conducted his famous kite experiment. He invents a lightning rod, because of this experiment, but he refuses to patent it as he believes everyone should be free to have this important piece of equipment. His discoveries after the kite experiment would make him world-famous.[7]
Experiments were not the only thing he did during this period. He helped charter the Pennsylvania Hospital in 1752, and the next year he was awarded honorary degrees by Yale and Harvard for his electrical writings. He was appointed Postmaster General of the Colonies. The previous inhabitant of the office was ill-suited, and the office had lost money. Under Franklin’s, it began to produce revenue.
A few years later, in 1758, he visited England and developed an interest in his ancestry. He tours Eaton, Northamptonshire,[DG1] and learns that he was the youngest son of the youngest son, going back five generations. The study of his ancestry was a side hobby. Originally, he was in England to try to solve a dispute between the proprietary government and the people of Pennsylvania. It involved the assessment of taxes during the French and Indian War because the proprietors had exempted their properties from being taxed. It was resolved that the proprietors needed to be taxed, but that it should be done fairly, and Dr. Franklin was assigned the task. While in England, he invented the Armonica, which was very popular in Europe, with Mozart and Beethoven composing pieces for the instrument.[8] The Armonica was a long wooden case containing a series of glass bulbs. The bulbs revolved on an axle, and the player would use wet fingertips to run along the glass edges to play a tune. Dr. Franklin returned to America in 1762.
In 1763, he traveled sixteen hundred miles, inspecting post offices in the northern part of the colonies. In 1764, he served as Pennsylvania’s agent and was sent to England once again. One of the issues he had to address, on behalf of Pennsylvania, was the Stamp Act. While still in England, in 1765, he was summoned to Parliament to explain the American reaction to the Stamp Act. He answers all the questions as the members of Parliament are unable to trip him up. He made it clear that the colonies would not submit to the Stamp Act. Informing them that the American assemblies will not acknowledge the right of Parliament to tax them. This inquisition would be published in America and England.
From 1766 to 1767, he toured Europe and was introduced at the French Court of Louis XV. He was elected a member of the French Academy of Science and received several diplomas from literary societies across the European continent. He earns a reputation as a womanizer and flirts with the ladies. However, there is little to no evidence that he was unfaithful to his wife, Deborah. Dr. Franklin often called ladies “Dear” and “Honey” in an affectionate manner. This may have led to the rumors of his womanizing. He continues doing the colonies' business in Europe, but 1773 would prove to be a pivotal year for Dr. Franklin.
The Hutchinson Letters Scandal would occur after Dr. Franklin came into possession of Governor Hutchinson’s letters and sent them to Samuel Adams to inform him of what the Governor was saying. He requested that Adams not publish the letters, but Adams promptly published them, seeing the political leverage the patriots could gain. These letters reflected poorly on the American colonies. Dr. Franklin would be severely dressed down in Parliament by Lord Loughborough, who was known as Wedderburne at the time. Dr. Franklin was advocating for the dismissal of Governor Hutchinson. He was laughed at by those in Parliament, but he took the abuses with great dignity and composure. He would be removed from his position as Postmaster General, and his salary as an agent for the Pennsylvania Colony was stopped. A lawsuit was filed in Chancery Court regarding the release of the Hutchinson Letters. As a result of this incident, he realizes that there is no reconciliation between the colonies and Great Britain. He left for America in 1775. Just prior to his departure, he received the news that Deborah, whom he affectionately called Debby, had passed away. It is said that this also influenced his decision to leave England. She passed away in December of 1774 from a stroke.
Upon his return to America, he was elected to the Second Continental Congress. He was the oldest man in Congress and not much of a speaker, preferring to write to get his opinions and views to the public. While in Congress, he again served as Postmaster General and would hand over his salary to Congress, as well as £ 3,000 of his own money, to help the cause. The donation of his salary was to help the wounded soldiers of the Revolution. He also began to correspond with Lord Howe about reconciliation and to meet with him, but it was unsuccessful. He was on several important committees, such as a committee to confer with General Washington, Secret Correspondence, of which he was Chairman. He also helped to draw up a proposed treaty, was assigned to draft Silas Deane's instructions when he was appointed to represent America in France, was part of a committee to meet with the Canadians in Montreal, which was a failure, as well as the committee to draw up the Great Seal of the United States, and the above mentioned meeting with Lord Howe.
His biggest assignment was the Declaration of Independence Committee, which he was assigned, along with Jefferson, Adams, Sherman, and Livingston. When the committee met for the first time, Dr. Franklin was ill in bed with gout and boils. Jefferson sends him a rough draft on June 21st and asks for suggestions on improvement. Dr. Franklin made only a few alterations, but one change was significant. Originally, Jefferson’s Declaration said, “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable,” with Dr. Franklin changing it to read, “We hold these truths to be self-evident.”[9] Dr. Franklin votes for the Declaration and signs it on August 2, 1776.
During his service in Congress, he was appointed to the Pennsylvania Constitution Convention and presided over it when he was not otherwise preoccupied with his duties in Congress. But that would soon end when he was sent to France on a diplomatic mission. He takes his two grandsons, Temple, who is seventeen, and Benny, who is seven years old, with him. This was an interesting time for all involved. It was during this trip to Europe that all his eccentricities started to become known. He would take air baths during this time, which consisted of him lounging around naked with all the windows open. He would wear a fur cap to irritate the French, who had a stereotype of Americans as frontiersmen, and he would flirt with the ladies, as he had when he was in Europe before, but there is little evidence to support anything beyond flirting. He was instrumental in securing French funding for the Revolution and in securing French support for the American cause. In 1782, he signed the provincial articles of peace and, prior to leaving France, negotiated treaties with Sweden and Prussia that addressed commerce and the security of private property during the war. He would leave France in 1785, just two years prior to the French Revolution, and Jefferson was sent to replace him as Minister to France.
Returning to America for the last time, he was greeted by many people upon his homecoming. He also received visits from different members of Congress. Upon his return, he helps his grandson set up a printing press business and a type foundry, which would be listed in the 1790 census. He also gets to meet four new grandchildren who were born while he was overseas. During the same year, he was appointed President of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and would hold the position for the next three years.
In 1787, he was appointed as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and was famously carried there on a specially designed sedan chair. He had fallen down some stairs, prior to the convention, and, because of his age, had refused to venture beyond his gardens, except for the convention. Like with the Declaration, he was the oldest signer of the Constitution. He had his issues with the Constitution, but understood it was the best the convention could come up with at the time. Prior to signing the Constitution, James Madison noted the behavior and words of Dr. Franklin:
“Whilst the last members were signing, Doctor Franklin, looking towards the President’s chair, at the back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, observed to a few members near him, that painters had found it difficult to distinguish in their art, a rising, from a setting sun. I have, said he, often and often, in the course of the session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that behind the President, without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting: but now at length, I have the happiness to know, that it is a rising and not a setting sun”
Dr. Franklin retired from public service in 1788.
In September of 1789, he wrote to a friend, noting that he had to use opium to relieve the pain he was experiencing, presumably from gout, and it was the only thing that brought him relief. But it must not have brought him much relief, as he steadily lost weight in the months leading up to his death. The last letter he ever wrote was sent to Jefferson, just prior to his passing. He passed away on April 17, 1790, at 11 pm in the evening at his home in Philadelphia. His two grandsons, Benjamin Bache and Temple Franklin, were with him. Twenty thousand people came to his funeral, and he was buried next to his beloved Debby on 21 of April in Christ Church Cemetery. Congress declared one month of national mourning for Dr. Franklin, and the French National Assembly ordered its members to wear mourning colors for three days. Jefferson noted, “His death was an affliction which was to happen to us at some time or other. We have reason to be thankful he was so long spared; that the most useful life should be the longest also…”[10]
Dr. Franklin’s will decreed that only a simple marble slab was to cover their graves with the names of he, his wife, and his date of birth. As a young man, he had originally penned a different epitaph:
The Body of
B. Franklin, printer
Like the cover of an old book,
Its contents torn out
And stripped of its lettering and gilding),
Lies here, food for worms.
But the work shall not be lost;
For it will (as he believed) appear once more
In a new and more elegant edition,
Revised and corrected
By the Author.
Tidbits One of two signers who knew what it was like to be the property of someone else. This doesn’t stop him from owning slaves, which he either sold off or they ran away. Lived nearly 30 years of his life overseas for diplomatic missions. Unlike other Founders, his fortune increased rather than decreased during the War. He was of middle height with a healthy constitution, agreeable, curious, and had good humor. He was described as having the body of a swimmer or wrestler, with dirty blond hair and grey eyes. He wore plain clothing. which kept with his belief in frugality. |
[1] Barthelmas, Della Gray. The Signers of The Declaration of Independence: A Biographical and Genealogical Reference (Jefferson, NC, London: McFarland, 2003)
[2] Allison, Andrew, W. Cleon Skousen, and M. Richard Maxfield. The Real Benjamin Franklin. Vol. 2 (National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2010) 14-15
[3] Allison, Andrew, W. Cleon Skousen, and M. Richard Maxfield. The Real Benjamin Franklin 2010 47
[4] Franklin, Benjamin. Selected Writings. (New York, NY, Fall River Press, 2010), 202
[5] Franklin, Benjamin. Selected Writings. 202-203
[7] MythBusters on the Discovery Channel would attempt to recreate his experiment in 2006. They concluded Franklin probably embellished parts of the story as what he was reported to have done would have resulted in instantaneous death.
[8] Allison, Andrew, W. Cleon Skousen, and M. Richard Maxfield. The Real Benjamin Franklin Vol. 2. (National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2010) 124-125
[9] Isaacson, Walter. "How They Chose These Words" Time 162, no. 1 (July 7, 2003): 76.
[10] Allison, Andrew, W. Cleon Skousen, and M. Richard Maxfield. The Real Benjamin Franklin. Vol. 2. (National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2010) 275-276
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