Franklin, the Reluctant Rebel (1775-1790)

Chapter 9 covers the three final phases of Franklin’s life. In this context, I consider the American War of Independence as a second Glorious Revolution, aimed at founding a new British nation grounded in the principles of the English Bill of Rights and Whiggism. Politically, this was at the heart of Franklin’s vision for America, a view that has often been confused with modern American nationalism.After his humiliating departure from London, Franklin was now a full-fledged revolutionary and, after blood had been spilled, he was actively involved in drafting the Declaration of Independence along with Thomas Jefferson, its principal author. During the second phase, and thanks to his knowledge of French, Franklin was then appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to France and resided in Paris from 1778 to 1785. During this period, he successfully persuaded the French authorities to recognize the United States and to negotiate both a military and commercial alliance. Following Great Britain’s defeat in 1781, Franklin participated in negotiating the final peace treaty in which Britain formally recognized American independence.The final phase of Franklin’s life encompasses his last five years, during which he participated in, among other activities, the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. In 1786, he met Noah Webster and encouraged him to pursue the reform of the English alphabet. However, the two men disagreed on the approach with Webster favoring an endonormative model, contrary to Franklin’s anglophile preferences (cf. Chapters 29 & 30). In the final year of his life, his previously ambiguous position on slavery became clearer (but perhaps not the underlying motivations). Only three months before his death, he wrote a satirical article in his inimitable style calling for the abolition of slavery.