Q&A: James Giglio

A: Franklin saw the need for unity among the 13 colonies. He wanted to have more collaboration and less competition between them. As early as 1754, he had a great sense of vision of the likely success of an independent United States.

Q: What were his successes as a colonial agent in London?

A: Franklin and John Adams wanted to return to the good old days of the colonial relationship with Great Britain prior to 1763 at a time when Britain was changing from a mercantile to an imperial power, which resulted in the Stamp Act and various other taxes as well as greater political control. However, the moderate Franklin opposed the Boston Tea Party (1774) because it was an irresponsible act. America’s victory at the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777 helped convince the French that we could win a war for independence from Britain.

Q: And as a diplomat in Paris?

A: He helped craft the treaty of Paris of 1783, which ended the war with Britain and greatly expanded the boundaries of the United States to the Mississippi River.

Q: How did Franklin impact business?

A: He had a variety of interests, from printing to colonial agent. He exemplified the American frontier, which promoted versatility and self-reliance; by necessity, Americans shifted from farming to practicing law and diplomacy, and to operating businesses. Few were more versatile than Franklin.

Little-known Franklin Fact

Franklin helped form the Junto Committee, composed of fellow tradesmen and artisans dedicated to mutual improvement. They frequently asked, “How may we be of service to mankind, our country, our friends and ourselves?” They helped establish one of the first lending libraries, a firefighting brigade, the first nonsectarian public university, a militia, public hospital, insurance society and the Philosophical Society.