Monroe County Historical Association

Following the luncheon and a brief business meeting, Penn State University professor Carla J. Mulford will present a program on Benjamin Franklin, offered in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Benjamin Franklin was America’s most important diplomat in Europe during the era of the American Revolution. His was the face attached publicly to political independence, to arguments for individual rights, and to defenses supporting freedom from tyranny by political regimes.

Franklin’s very public stance on the necessity of revolution against Britain covered a private family drama: his beloved son, William Franklin, the royally appointed governor of New Jersey, remained devoted to Britain.

Franklin was at first surprised that William remained loyal to Britain, and hoped he would change his mind, even offering to help him find a way into George Washington’s army. When William remained resolutely in favor of the British, Franklin finally disowned him.

This program will examine Benjamin Franklin’s role during the American Revolution and the resulting revolution in the Franklin home. The Franklin family’s rupture signals the fragility of freedom and the poignancy of the difficult decisions made by the revolutionary generation.