Menu Close

Was Benjamin Franklin American or British?

Was Benjamin Franklin American or British?

One of the leading figures of early American history, Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was a statesman, author, publisher, scientist, inventor and diplomat. Born into a Boston family of modest means, Franklin had little formal education. He went on to start a successful printing business in Philadelphia and grew wealthy.

Was Benjamin Franklin on the British or French side?

If the British had intercepted Franklin on his voyage to France, the American could have been executed as a traitor. Instead, Franklin stayed in France until 1785 in a critical role as one of America’s first significant diplomats. The French opened Franklin with open arms, and he became a pop culture icon.

What is Benjamin Franklin’s heritage?

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was a leader of America’s Revolutionary generation. His character and thought were shaped by a blending of Puritan heritage, Enlightenment philosophy, and the New World environment. Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston into a pious Puritan household.

Who told colonists to not drink tea?

In 1767, Charles Townshend (1725-67), Britain’s new chancellor of the Exchequer (an office that placed him in charge of collecting the government’s revenue), proposed a law known as the Townshend Revenue Act. This act placed duties on a number of goods imported into the colonies, including tea, glass, paper and paint.

What were the British soldiers called?

What are loyalists? What were British soldiers called? British authority and soldiers likewise acquired several monikers throughout the course of the war and were synonymously referred to as the British, the Crown, Great Britain, lobster backs, and regulars.

Why is Ben Franklin sent to France in 1776?

Franklin served from 1776 to 1778 on a commission to France charged with the critical task of gaining French support for American independence. French aristocrats and intellectuals embraced Franklin as the personification of the New World Enlightenment.