History & Genealogy

Until I read this book I’ve thought of Ben Franklin as an avuncular, humorous, homespun genius, very much like the Franklin character from the musical, "1776." Of course, this is an image that has come down to us through the centuries since the American Revolution. But what did I know about Franklin, really? He wrote Poor Richard’s Almanac, flew his kite, invented a stove, lightning rod and bifocals. He was already 70 years old in 1776, so there had to have been more.

Gordon Wood, in this crisply written and very readable book (it won a Pulitzer Prize), gives lots more. He fills in the back-story of Franklin’s evolution from loyal English subject to fierce proponent of American independence. Among the revelations, Franklin:

- lived nearly 30 years of his life abroad;
- retired a wealthy man at the age of 42;
- owned slaves;
- was an ardent loyalist who tried to make Pennsylvania a royal colony (it was under charter to the Penn family);
- was treated abominably by the U.S. Congress, despite a long and distinguished record of service.

As Wood deconstructed the modern mythic image, I was surprised to learn of Franklin’s intense belief in the virtue of the British crown and its empire. He had been living happily in London for 13 years. Toward the end of that time he devoted great efforts to trying to reconcile the colonies with the mother country. He did not give up until 1775. When he returned to America it was after the armed confrontations at Lexington and Concord.

However, the fact that Franklin was completely committed to the welfare of his new nation is conveyed with details that document the ailing, elderly Franklin’s sacrifices to serve. He was never paid for his work in France, his health suffered undertaking assignments, including a trip for the Congress to Canada during the winter where he was forced to sleep outdoors. This when he was in his seventies and had gout and stones.

When Franklin at the age of 79 had been elected to head the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, “George Washington, who had conspicuously retired from all public business in 1783, thought Franklin was out of his mind to accept any political office.” But Franklin served and continued to be an advocate for causes that included now, the abolition of slavery.

When news of Franklin’s death in April 1789 reached France, the National Assembly, in an unprecedented act, decreed three days of national mourning. France sent a message to the President and Congress, expressing gratitude for Franklin’s contributions to liberty and the rights of man. He was called one of the “fathers of universal humanity.”

In the United States, James Madison’s House of Representatives adopted a moving tribute to Franklin on April 22, 1790. “But the next day, when Senator Charles Carroll proposed that the Senate adopt a similar tribute to Franklin, several senators leaped their feet in opposition even before the proposal could be seconded. Senator Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut urged that the proposal be withdrawn since it was sure to be defeated. Consequently, the Senate did nothing.” Wood gives context for the coldness of the Federalists on Franklin’s passing, but even taking that into account, the snubbing was inexcusably mean-spirited.

It was only after his death and with the publication of his Autobiography, that new generations of working people got to know the struggling, industrious Franklin and admired his practical wisdom. He alone of the Founding Fathers had been a tradesman and had taken pride in work. This endeared him to young, ambitious workers of the nineteenth century who were striving to make a decent life for themselves and their families.

Ultimately, Franklin endures as the classic personification of the American Dream.

Copyright ©  2005 Christine M. Roane

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