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Benjamin Franklin papers
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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
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Benjamin Franklin was appointed by the Continental Congress as a Commissioner to France in 1776, along with Silas Deane and Arthur Lee, to negotiate an alliance with France. He set sail with his grandsons, Temple Franklin and Benjamin Bache, and settled in the village of Passy, where he was offered rent-free lodging from American sympthazer and merchant, Jacques-Donatien Leray de Chaumont. Franklin was highly regarded in France due to his electrical experiments and quickly established a following of intellects, courtiers, and female admirers.
Franklin's popularity helped to bolster the American cause among the French people, but the French foreign minister, Comte de Vergennes, was non-committal. France's support was also hindered due to the Bourbon family pact of 1761, in which France and Spain pledged mutual support to each other in perpetuity. Without Spain's support coupled with Washington's defeats in New York, the French government was only willing to provide a secret loan and allow the use of French ports by American merchant ships. It was not until Washington's victory at Saratoga that France finally agree to support publicly the American cause for independence. A Treaty of Alliance and a Treaty of Amity and Commerce was signed an 6 February 1778 but did not became official until 20 March 1778, when King Louis XVI received the three commissioners at Versailles.
Despite the Commission's success, the commissioners were finding it increasingly difficult to agree on policies. This was compounded by the arrival of John Adams in April 1778 to replace Silas Deane, who had been recalled due to allegations of financial mismanagement. In addition, the French had appointed a minister plenipotentiary to America, and protocal demanded that the new nation reciprocate with an appointee of similar rank. By the summer it was clear to Franklin, Adams, and Lee that only one person should be in charge of the negotiations. Congress appointed Franklin sole minister plenipotentiary in September 1778.
While Franklin continue his official work of securing additional loans, procuring supplies for the Continental Army and negotiating the exchange of prisoners, he did take time to pursue his other interests. In the summer of 1783, he witnessed the world's first unmanned hydrogen balloon flight in Paris and then the first manned flight in November. Franklin chronicled the events for the Royal Society in letters to Joseph Banks.
In 1781, Franklin was assigned the additonal role of handling the peace negotiations with Britain. Four others were assigned to the commission and included John Adams, John Jay, Henry Laurens, and Thomas Jefferson, who declined the assignment citing personal reasons. Negotiations with Britain began in 1782 and finally concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
The Benjamin Franklin papers primarily contains correspondence during Franklin's tenure in France. Divided into three series, letter to Franklin, letters from Franklin and miscellaneous. The material is arranged chronologically within each series.
Franklin's papers include correspondence, social in nature but also contains official correspondence especially with his grand nephew Jonathan Williams, Jr., who was the U.S. commercial agent at Nantes. Other correspondents detailing Franklin's work as a U.S. Commissioner include France's foreign minister Comte de Vergennes; Marquis de la Fayette; and John Paul Jones. The latter details John Paul Jones's dispute with French Captain Pierre Landais.
While securing financial and military assistance from France was Franklin's primary responsibility, he was also expected to procure supplies for George Washington, negotiate the exchange of prisoners of war and solve the problems of Americans in Paris. His papers are also filled letters from Europeans who sought commissions to serve as officers in the American army as well as those simply requesting money.
A. = Autograph
D. = Document
Diss. = Dissertation
Dr. = Draft
E. = Endorsement
F.R.S. = Fellow of the Royal Society of London
L. = Letter
M.A.P.S. = Member of the American Philosophical Society
M.C.C. = Member of the Continental Congress
Mem. = Memorandum
Ms. = Manuscript
N. = Note
P. = Person
p. = Page
S. = Signed
[?] = Doubtful reading or information
Purchased by Friends of the University, 1903.
The bulk of Benjamin Franklin's papers are housed at the American Philosophical Society.
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- University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
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