Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolution
The inventor, the ladies' man, the affable diplomat, and the purveyor of pithy homespun wisdom: we all know the charming, resourceful Benjamin Franklin. What is less appreciated is the importance of Franklin's part in the American Revolution: except for Washington he was its most irreplaceable leader. Although aged and in ill health, Franklin served the cause with unsurpassed zeal and dedication. Jonathan R. Dull, whose decades of work on The Papers of Benjamin Franklin have given him rare insight into his subject, explains Franklin's role in the Revolution, what prepared him for that role, and what motivated him.

The Franklin presented here, a man immersed in the violence, danger, and suffering of the Revolution, is a tougher person than the Franklin of legend. Dull's portrait captures Franklin's confidence and self-righteousness about himself and the American cause. It shows his fanatical zeal, his hatred of King George III and George's American supporters (particularly Franklin's own son), and his disdain for hardship and danger. It also shows a side of Franklin that he tried to hide: his vanity, pride, and ambition. Though not as lovable and avuncular as the person of legend, this Franklin is more interesting, more complex, and in many ways more impressive.

Jonathan R. Dull served as the senior associate editor of The Papers of Benjamin Franklin series until 2008. His other books include The Age of the Ship of the Line: The British and French Navies, 1650-1815 (Nebraska 2009) and The French Navy and the Seven Years' War, available in a Bison Books edition.
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Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolution
The inventor, the ladies' man, the affable diplomat, and the purveyor of pithy homespun wisdom: we all know the charming, resourceful Benjamin Franklin. What is less appreciated is the importance of Franklin's part in the American Revolution: except for Washington he was its most irreplaceable leader. Although aged and in ill health, Franklin served the cause with unsurpassed zeal and dedication. Jonathan R. Dull, whose decades of work on The Papers of Benjamin Franklin have given him rare insight into his subject, explains Franklin's role in the Revolution, what prepared him for that role, and what motivated him.

The Franklin presented here, a man immersed in the violence, danger, and suffering of the Revolution, is a tougher person than the Franklin of legend. Dull's portrait captures Franklin's confidence and self-righteousness about himself and the American cause. It shows his fanatical zeal, his hatred of King George III and George's American supporters (particularly Franklin's own son), and his disdain for hardship and danger. It also shows a side of Franklin that he tried to hide: his vanity, pride, and ambition. Though not as lovable and avuncular as the person of legend, this Franklin is more interesting, more complex, and in many ways more impressive.

Jonathan R. Dull served as the senior associate editor of The Papers of Benjamin Franklin series until 2008. His other books include The Age of the Ship of the Line: The British and French Navies, 1650-1815 (Nebraska 2009) and The French Navy and the Seven Years' War, available in a Bison Books edition.
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Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolution

Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolution

by Jonathan R. Dull
Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolution

Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolution

by Jonathan R. Dull

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$16.95 
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Overview

The inventor, the ladies' man, the affable diplomat, and the purveyor of pithy homespun wisdom: we all know the charming, resourceful Benjamin Franklin. What is less appreciated is the importance of Franklin's part in the American Revolution: except for Washington he was its most irreplaceable leader. Although aged and in ill health, Franklin served the cause with unsurpassed zeal and dedication. Jonathan R. Dull, whose decades of work on The Papers of Benjamin Franklin have given him rare insight into his subject, explains Franklin's role in the Revolution, what prepared him for that role, and what motivated him.

The Franklin presented here, a man immersed in the violence, danger, and suffering of the Revolution, is a tougher person than the Franklin of legend. Dull's portrait captures Franklin's confidence and self-righteousness about himself and the American cause. It shows his fanatical zeal, his hatred of King George III and George's American supporters (particularly Franklin's own son), and his disdain for hardship and danger. It also shows a side of Franklin that he tried to hide: his vanity, pride, and ambition. Though not as lovable and avuncular as the person of legend, this Franklin is more interesting, more complex, and in many ways more impressive.

Jonathan R. Dull served as the senior associate editor of The Papers of Benjamin Franklin series until 2008. His other books include The Age of the Ship of the Line: The British and French Navies, 1650-1815 (Nebraska 2009) and The French Navy and the Seven Years' War, available in a Bison Books edition.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780803230330
Publisher: Bison Original
Publication date: 12/01/2010
Pages: 184
Product dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author


Jonathan R. Dull served as the senior associate editor of The Papers of Benjamin Franklin series until 2008. His other books include The Age of the Ship of the Line: The British and French Navies, 1650–1815 (Nebraska 2009) and The French Navy and the Seven Years’ War, available in a Bison Books edition.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

1 From Rebelliousness to Prosperity 1

2 Two Missions to England 17

3 Eighteen Months in Congress 41

4 Franklin and the French 65

5 Franklin and the British 85

6 Franklin and His Fellow Americans 107

Epilogue: Franklin Returns to Philadelphia 119

Notes 123

Recommended Reading 147

Index 163

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