His image was widely known and symbolic during life [1706-1790]
as Silas Dogood with brother James at Boston Courant 1721
to Philadelphia, owned Pennsylvania Gazette 1729
Poor Richard's Almanac 1732
Philadelphia booster - progress, perfectibility
Junto 1727 for "mutual improvement" led to 1743 American Philosophical Society
Library Co. 1731 for "purposeful reading"
clerk of the Assembly
Union Fire Co. 1737 for volunteers, subscribers
Philadelphia postmaster 1737, for colonies 1753-74; 1st fixed penny rate
Association for Defense 1747 - "Love your neighbor yet don't pull down your hedge"
hospital, street cleaning, police watch
retired from business 1748 - Phil 2nd largest city
scientist
1750 experiments with Leyden jars, turkeys
1751 book Experiments and Observations on Electricity
1752 kite experiment - "he snatched the lightning from the sky and the sceptre from tyrants" (Turgot)
inventor of stove, bifocals
studied Gulf Stream, soybeans
B. Colonial Agent
to London for PA 1757
Royal Society, clubs, taverns
opposed Stamp Act 1766
C. Congressional leader
returned to Philadelphia May 1775
served on 10 committees for 2nd Continental Congress
Committee of Secret Correspondence Nov. 29 -foreign aid, recognition
Declaration of Independence with Jefferson, Adams - to inform a "candid world"
Model Treaty of John Adams - trade, not alliance
"a virgin state should preserve the virgin character and not go about suitoring for alliance" (Franklin)
Beaumarchais starts secret aid through Hortalez Co.
Congress creates Navy Oct. 13, 1776 and authorizes privateering
1st Salute at St. Eustatius from Dutch fort on arrival of brig Andrew Dora flying flag of Congress Nov. 16, 1776
3 agents sent to Europe: Franklin, Arthur Lee, Silas Deane
D. Minister to France
leaves Philadelphia Oct. 26, and arrives in Paris Dec. 21, 1776 wearing fur cap, with grandsons Temple and B.F. Bache
Franklin's secretary Edward Bancroft and Deane's secretary William Carmichael recruited by Brit. Paul Wentworth
Brit spies at American residence at Hotel de Valentinois in Passy: George Lupton, John Thornton, Joseph Hynson, Jonathan Williams, Samuel Wharton
Cecil Curry in Code #72 argued that even Franklin became a spy for the Brit
no records of 5 million livres spent by Franklin
Lee's 1st mission to Spain 1777 successful - secret aid to Havana and New Orleans - American agent Oliver Pollock in LA. worked with Gen. Bernardo de Galvez against Brit in lower Mississippi
but Spain refused to join France in war against Brit.
Lee's 2nd mission to Berlin 1777 failed - Brit spies copied his papers and Brit learned of French and Spanish secret aid
Hynson affair Oct. 7, 1777
Saratoga victory Oct. 17
Franklin begins secret talks with Wentworth - but no independence offered
Wentworth returned to Brit. Jan. 6, 1778
Vergennes talks begin Jan. 8 - treaty signed Feb. 6
Deane recalled Mar. 4 - John Adams arrived Apr. 8
Adams fired some staff, ordered rent paid to hotel
Franklin's friend Luzerne influenced Congress to recall Adams and Lee Sep. 14
Treaty of Aranjuez Apr. 12, 1779 - Spain entered war, but France agreed to keep fighting for Gibralter
French Admiral d'Estiang defeated Brit Navy at Grenada July 6 - 1st great naval defeat for Brit since 1690 - Brit desperate to keep France out of valuable Caribbean sugar islands
Bernardo de Galvez captured Baton Rouge, Natchez in 1779; Mobile 1780; and important Brit base of Pensacola 1781
Catherine the Great formed Armed Neutrality Mar. 10, 1780
Brit defeat Hyder Alli July 1, 1781, at Battle of Porto Novo in southeast India, but Mysore War drags on - French Admiral Suffren helps Hyder Ally by defeating Brit Navy in India waters - Brit more willing to give up America to keep India
Battle of the Capes Sep. 5, 1781 - French Admiral d'Grasse defeated Brit fleet attempting to save Cornwallis at Yorktown - 7000 French troops join 8800 American troops to begin siege of Yorktown Sep. 28
Yorktown victory Oct. 17, 1781 - Lord North ministry replaced by Rockingham
Franklin negotiations begin April 1782 with Brit agent Richard Oswald in Paris, sought not only independence but also generous boundaries, including the "voluntary" cession of Canada
John Jay arrived to lead the "militia diplomats" of Franklin, Adams, Henry Laurens to persuade Vergennes and his secretary Reyneval to end the war
Sep. 6 - Reyneval boundary would keep U.S. out of trans-Appalachian west
Sep. 9 - Reyneval secret trip to Brit to get support of new Shelburne ministry for the boundary proposal
Sep. 11 - Jay makes own decision to open secret negotiations with Brit for a separate peace -Oct. 26 - Adams agreed with Jay after Adams return from successful trip to Holland (treaty of amity and commerce Oct. 8 included recognition and loans)
Oct. 30 - Franklin finally agreed with Jay, but continued to negotiate with Vergennes
Nov. 30 - negotiations with Shelburne produce agreement on "preliminary" articles of a peace treaty
Dec. 17 - "the English, I just now learn, flatter themselves they have already divided us." - Franklin used prelim. articles to pressure France and get additional 6 million livres loan
Apr. 19, 1783 - Congress ratified articles on 8th anniversary of Lexington
