Franklin's Importance to the Revolution
When thinking of Benjamin Franklin, it is difficult to imagine any other man who has performed greater deeds for the United States. He was instrumental in the creation of the very document that led to the birth of our nation, the Articles of Confederation. Working behind those who were younger and more ambitious, he influenced and assisted the Founding Fathers who wrote such documents as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. He was an invaluable emissary to France, as he secured their aid in the colonies' fight for freedom. Despite rarely taking center stage at any particular event, no other individual was more involved in the birth of our nation. Therefore, Benjamin Franklin was, overall, the most important Founding Father during America's Revolution. As in many facets of life, Franklin was far ahead of his time. Consider his proposed "Plan of Union". Presented at the Albany Congress of 1754, his plan tried to bring the thirteen colonies together in what he called, "one general government." Under Franklin's plan, each colony would send delegates to a "Grand Council" that could levy taxes, raise troops and regulate trade. Despite the Congress' passing of Franklin's plan, neither the people of
To protect that groundwork from the British, however, the newfound United States would require help from France. Without a capable mail system, a government fa!ils to operate as it loses the ability to govern its people. Franklin also arranged for the transportation of French soldiers and weapons to America, hastening their arrival, as well as making sure the French government would provide a steady cash flow to the colonies during the war. The Continental Congress realized that the war was not going well, and thought that an alliance with France might mean the difference between victory and defeat. Instead, Franklin proved that he was a jack-of-all-trades, yet a master of many, as he assisted in the creation of the United States through as many deeds as one could imagine. Years later, however, the Plan of Union would influence the Articles of Confederation, in spite of the fact that in its original form, Franklin's plan would have been more effective than the Articles as it allowed for the government to levy taxes. As he had experience as deputy postmaster of the colonies for the British, he had many ideas for making the postal system better. These accomplishments seem bland when considered only as achievements in making an efficient postal service. Under the direction of the Second Continental Congress, Franklin assumed the role of postmaster of the colonies. htm, 16 September, 2000"The French American," (Online) Available http://library. the colonies nor Great Britain paid much attention. Therefore, by creating something as seemingly unimportant as an efficient postal system, he in fact laid an important piece of groundwork for our new nation. But Franklin knew that a functioning democracy depends on the free exchange of ideas between the people, and at the time, the only method of exchanging ideas was through the mail.
Common topics in this essay:
World Book,
Benjamin Franklin,
Alliance France,
Congress Franklin,
Despite Congress',
Continental Congress,
Articles Confederation,
Constitution United,
Albany Congress,
NP Franklin,
benjamin franklin,
postal service,
franklin's plan,
continental congress,
franklin proved,
16 september 2000,
postmaster colonies,
levy taxes,
postal system,
world book,
online available,
|
Acceptance Essays
