The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin (50 page)

—education of

dress while in France, 180-81, 274n56

elementary, 17-18, 61, 259n1

fellow commissioners on, 187-90

honorary degrees, 65, 87

French alliance negotiated by, 190-91

languages learned, 56, 184

on French aristocrats and commerce, 182-83

reading, 19-20

French images of, 176-79, 274n53

—family life of

as minister plenipotentiary, 193, 196-97

children, 34, 52

in peace negotiations with Britain, 195, 196

engagement to Deborah Read, 27, 29, 30-31

problems facing mission, 183-87

grandson Benjamin Franklin Bache, 170, 229,

residence in France, 175, 177

234, 246

as symbolic American for the French, 171-83

marriage to Deborah Read, 32-34

in West’s
Treaty of Paris,
199

son Francis (Franky) Franklin, 52, 256n94

—opinions and views of

See also
Franklin, Deborah Read (wife);

on appearance and reality, 15

Franklin, Sara (Sally) (daughter); Franklin,

on aristocracy, 218

Temple (grandson); Franklin, William (son)

behaviorist approach to morality, 277n7

—as Founder

on converts’ zealousness, 157

as folksy Founder, 1-3

as democrat, 166, 232

Franklin as famous before Revolution, 11, 87

on Holland, 183

Franklin’s contributions compared with

on labor, 39, 45, 197

others’, 221-22

life and chess compared by, 201-2, 221

as not most American of Founders, 9-10

on paper money, 45, 108-9

as oldest of Founders, 11

pessimistic view of human nature, 266n40

—images of

on public service as important as science, 9,

and American character, 2-3, 12

66-67

Autobiography
in construction of image, 8-9,

on public service without pay, 9, 216-17, 244

13, 235

religious views, 30, 229, 240

capitalism associated with, 5-8, 9, 12, 246,

on slavery, 226-29

283n92

on vanity, 207, 241

celebrated as champion of work, 235-38

on Wilkes, 128-29

creation of modern image of image, 13, 16

—in Pennsylvania government

criticisms of, 4-8

as clerk of Pennsylvania Assembly, 52, 59, 68

difficulty of knowing, 13-16

enmity with Thomas Penn, 69, 79, 80, 92, 93

historic eighteenth-century Franklin, 8-13

on making Pennsylvania crown colony, 69,

human side of, 4

82, 92-93, 95, 99-101, 102, 103, 124, 143,

and myth of American nationhood, 243-46

155,262nn80-81

reputation in Europe, 212, 221, 234

as member of Pennsylvania Assembly,

as self-made man, 2, 25, 27, 238-43, 246

68-69, 101

—last years of

in Militia Association, 55, 59-60, 69, 79

and Confederation Congress, 221-26,

mission to Great Britain of 1757-1762, 82-97

280n51,280n57

and Paxton Boys uprising, 98-99

at Constitutional Convention, 215-21

and Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776,

death of, 168, 229-30

164—66, 213-14, 218-20

reaction to death of, 230-35

as president of Pennsylvania, 214-15

will of, 230, 235, 281n70

—personal characteristics of

—mission to France of 1776-1785, 169-200

calculated restraint of, 13

Adams questioning patriotism of, 210-12, 215

as clubbable, 86

and Adams’s missions to France, 192-96

curiosity of, 62

in Americanization of Franklin, 12-13

human nature understood by, 15

British and, 184, 185-86, 190-91

physical ailments in old age, 185, 214, 227

British peace offerings rebuffed by, 166-68

physical appearance at age thirty, 51

Congress debates recalling from France,

physical appearance at Constitutional

193-94

Convention, 216

considers settling in France, 207-9

as social being, 16

diplomatic achievements in France, 196-97

temperance of, 29

Franklin, Benjamin (
continued
)

origins of, 2, 13, 17, 61, 233

—in Philadelphia

patronage in rise of, 25-27

arrival, 23—24

stops wearing wig, 271n7

in city government, 67—68

and United Party for Virtue plan, 42—43, 44, 56

civic activities of, 44—46

—works of

homes of, 52, 56-57, 98, 111, 153-54

“Advice to a Young Tradesman, Written by

returns from Britain in 1726, 30-32

an Old One,” 57

returns from Britain in 1762, 97-98

“Apology for Printers,” 53, 112, 125

returns from Britain in 1775, 153-54

complexity and subtlety of, 15

returns from France in 1785, 213-15

Cool Thoughts on the Present Situation of Our

works for Keimer, 24, 26, 31

Public Affairs,
100-101

—portraits of

Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure

Jean-Jacques Caffieri, 177,
178

and Pain,
29-30

Mason Chamberlain, 87, 88

“An Edict of the King of Prussia,” 145

Charles-Nicholas Cochin,
176

Experiments and Observations on Electricity,

Joseph-Siffred Duplessis, 177,
178

Made at Philadelphia in America,
64, 171

Robert Feke, 57-58,
58
,
257n117

French translations of, 171-72

Edward Fisher, 87, 88

Observations Concerning the Increase of

Jean-Honore Fragonard,
176

Mankind, Peopling of Countries, Etc.,
70

French school,
176

Plain Truth: Or, Serious Considerations on the

Jean-Baptiste Greuze, 177,
178

Present State of the City of Philadelphia and

Jean-Antoine Houdon, 177,
178

Province of Pennsylvania,
55

J. F. de L’Hospital, 177,
179

Polly Baker hoax, 181-82

James McArdell, 87,
87

A Proposal for Promoting Useful Knowledge Among

David Martin, 125,
126

the British Plantations in America,
48

Francois Martinet,
173

Proposals Relating to the Education ofYouth in

medallion in Sevres ware,
176

Pensilvania,
48, 95

Charles Willson Peale, 213,
214

pseudonyms of, 14, 21, 47, 84, 115, 228, 251n14

Josiah Wedgwood, 140,
141

“Rules and Maxims for Promoting

Benjamin Wilson, 87,
87

Matrimonial Happiness,” 34

—as postmaster

“Rules by Which a Great Empire May Be

of Continental Congress government, 154,

Reduced to a Small One,” 145

224-25

Silence Dogood essays, 21-22

as deputy postmaster of American colonies,

“Sketch of the Services of B. Franklin to the

72, 97, 98, 133, 161, 22^25

United States,” 223-24

of Philadelphia, 53

See also Autobiography; Poor Richard’s Almanack;

—relations with women other than Deborah

Way to Wealth, The

Adams on Frenchwomen and, 209

Franklin, Deborah Read (wife)

Anne-Louise de Harancourt Brillon de Jouy,

children of, 52

192, 208

death of, 133, 150

in London in, 1724-1726, 29

engagement to Franklin, 27

proposal to Anne-Catherine Helvetius, 208-9

Franklin lodges with father of, 24

—as scientist and inventor

on Franklin’s arrival in Philadelphia, 23

electrical experiments of, 11, 61-66, 86, 172

Franklin seeming to have forgotten, 154

in French Royal Academy of Sciences, 172,

and Franklin’s London sojourn of1724-1726,

258n21

29, 30-31

inventions of, 3, 45, 213

and Franklin’s mission to Great Britain of

kite experiment, 64, 160, 258n13

1757-1762, 83, 85, 87, 88-91

—social status of

and Franklin’s mission to Great Britain of

becomes gentleman, 55-61

1764—1775, 104, 131-33

on becoming gentleman, 49-51

and Franklin’s postal inspection tours, 98

coat of arms of, 57

marriage to Franklin, 32-34

as Freemason, 43-44, 179

marriage to John Rogers, 32

as of the middling sort, 42, 46-49

and new house on Market Street, 98, 111, 154

portrait of,
89

Franklin Society, 246

relatives in England, 91

Frederick II (Prussia), 145

and Stamp Act violence, 111

Freemasonry, 43-44, 179, 282n86

Franklin, Francis (Franky) (son), 52, 256n94

French, John, 46

Franklin, James (brother), 19, 20, 21-22, 45

French and Indian (Seven Years) War, 78-81, 105,

Franklin, Josiah (father), 17

188

Franklin, Sarah (Sally) (daughter)

French Royal Academy of Sciences, 172,

birth of, 52

258n21

at Franklin’s deathbed, 229, 230

and Franklin’s mission to Great Britain of

Gage, Thomas, 153, 160

1757-1762, 83, 85, 89, 90

Gaines, Hugh, 41

marriage of, 131-32

Galloway, Joseph

son of, 170

and Franklin on his hazardous situation, 148

Polly Stevenson contrasted with, 132

and Franklin on Wilkesite riots, 129

Franklin, Temple (grandson)

as Franklin’s ally in Pennsylvania, 82, 99, 100,

Abigail Adams on, 277n98

101

edition of Franklin’s works of, 235, 241

and Franklin’s papers, 202

Franklin attempts to arrange marriage for,

and Hutchinson letters affair, 147

207-8

as loyalist, 82, 162, 209

Franklin attempts to secure position for,

Garrick, David, 85

210-12,222

General Magazine, The,
47

with Franklin in Philadelphia, 153

General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of

and Franklin’s break with his son, 163

New York, 235-36

at Franklin’s deathbed, 229

gentlemen

with Franklin’s mission to France, 170, 193, 222

and commoners, 35-41, 46-47, 253n51

Franklin’s papers left to, 235

Defoe on, 40, 51

on Franklin’s reputation, 221

Franklin becomes gentleman, 55-61

as illegitimate, 139, 153, 271n2

Franklin on becoming gentleman, 49-51

in West’s
Treaty of Paris,
199

Franklin’s resentment of, 47

Franklin, William (son)

as Freemasons, 43

Adams on, 95, 265n87

George III, 93-94, 104, 122, 155, 160, 186

arrest and imprisonment of, 162, 167

Gerard, Marguerite,
176

Autobiography
addressed to, 139

Gerry, Elbridge, 211

on British mission with Franklin, 82-83, 85, 87,

Goldsmith, Oliver, 85

90, 161

Grace, Robert, 42

as clerk of Pennsylvania Assembly, 68, 94

Grafton, Augustus Henry Fitzroy, Duke of,

education of, 83

133-34

Franklin breaks with over Revolution, 160-63

Grand Ohio (Walpole) Company, 135-36

Franklin indulging, 52

Great Britain

and Franklin on Wilkes, 128

Bute, 86, 94, 107, 122, 263n87

and Franklin’s meeting with Christian VII, 131

commonwealth theory of empire, 123

Franklin takes into his house, 34

conspiracies seen on both sides of Atlantic,

as gentleman, 83, 139

126-29

illegitimate son of, 139, 153, 271n2

constitution of, 165

on landed empire in West, 81

English arrogance regarding colonies, 113-15

legal training of, 82

Franklin hopes for position in government,

portrait of,
161

133-35, 138, 148

as royal governor of New Jersey, 94-95, 104,

Franklin’s ambivalence about England’s

122,162, 263n87

relation to America, 124-26

as royalist, 161, 193, 209, 211

Franklin’s dedication to empire, 10-11, 12,

and Walpole (Grand Ohio) Company scheme,

91-97, 159

135

Franklin’s last efforts to save empire, 147-51

Franklin, William Temple (grandson).
See

Franklin’s mission of 1757-1762, 82-97

Franklin, Temple

Franklin’s mission of 1764-1775, 104-51