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Character analysis

Benjamin Franklin

in The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson

Benjamin Franklin was one of the five members of the Committee of Five, chosen by the Second Continental Congress to draft a formal declaration of independence from Britain. At the time the Declaration was written in 1776, Franklin was the oldest member of the committee, contributing decades of diplomatic experience, scientific knowledge, and political savvy to the revolutionary effort. While Thomas Jefferson took on the main drafting responsibilities, Franklin's involvement added significant credibility and intellectual weight to the document—his respected status in both the American colonies and European courts communicated to the world that the decision to break from Britain was a thoughtful, legitimate action rather than a hasty rebellion.

Franklin's role in the context of the Declaration is one of culmination: a lifelong subject of the British Crown who had previously sought reconciliation, he ultimately supports the bold move for complete separation. His place on the committee signifies the shift of a generation of colonial loyalists into dedicated revolutionaries. Known for his pragmatism, wit, and persuasive skills—qualities that may not be directly evident in the Declaration's text—he influenced the discussions and revisions that surrounded it. Franklin's readiness to put his voice aside for Jefferson's draft demonstrates his collaborative spirit and his belief that unity among the delegates was more important than individual authorship. His support for the document's Enlightenment principles—natural rights, self-evident truths, and government by consent—reflects his own philosophical writings and experiments in self-governance.

About this character

Form
Non-fiction
Author
Thomas Jefferson
First published
1776

The person01–03

01·Who they are

Who is Benjamin Franklin?

Benjamin Franklin enters the story of the Declaration of Independence as the eldest and most internationally celebrated member of the Committee of Five, appointed by the Second Continental Congress in June 1776 to draft a formal justification for colonial separation from Britain. At seventy years old, Franklin brings to the committee something none of his colleagues can match: a lifetime of accumulated authority. He is simultaneously a scientist of European renown, a seasoned diplomat who has walked the corridors of London and Paris, a publisher who shaped colonial public opinion, and a self-made man whose biography had already become a mythology. His presence on the committee serves as a political statement—that the push for independence is no fringe insurgency but a measured act backed by the colonies' most credible mind.

02·Arc & motivation

What is Benjamin Franklin's arc and motivation?

Franklin's arc within the Declaration's history is one of painful, deliberate conversion. For years before 1776, he served as a colonial agent in London, petitioning Parliament and seeking negotiated solutions to the escalating tensions between Britain and the American colonies. He was truly a loyalist seeking reconciliation. His eventual endorsement of complete separation carries the weight of a man who exhausted every alternative. By joining the Committee of Five and lending his name to Jefferson's draft, Franklin communicates that patience has run its course—that the grievances catalogued against King George III are not the complaints of hotheads but the reasoned conclusions of a moderate elder who tried, and failed, to find another way. His motivation blends patriotism and philosophy: the Declaration's Enlightenment architecture—natural rights, government by consent, self-evident truths—mirrors principles Franklin had tested and championed in his own scientific and civic writings for decades.

03·Key moments

What are Benjamin Franklin's key moments?

The most consequential textual intervention attributed to Franklin is his quiet, surgical edit to Jefferson's draft. Where Jefferson had written that certain truths were "sacred and undeniable," Franklin reportedly changed the phrase to "self-evident." This revision is small in length but enormous in implication: it shifts the Declaration's foundational claims from the language of religious revelation to the language of rational logic, grounding the document in Enlightenment epistemology rather than scripture. This alteration embodies Franklin's entire intellectual personality—his preference for empirical clarity over ornate assertion, his eye for the phrase that will travel across cultures and centuries.

His decision to subordinate his own authorial voice to Jefferson's draft is equally telling. Franklin does not compete for the pen; he supports the younger man's primacy and lends the finished product elder-statesman authority. His willingness to sign the final document—knowing, as all delegates did, that signing was an act of potential treason against the Crown—marks his definitive personal rupture with the British authority he had long served.

The cast04–05

04·Relationships

What are Benjamin Franklin's most important relationships?

Franklin and Jefferson form the committee's intellectual core, with Franklin functioning as a precise, light-handed mentor. His single famous edit to Jefferson's prose demonstrates that his influence operates through restraint and precision rather than volume—he improves without overwhelming.

Franklin and Adams represent the committee's two most prominent personalities. Where Adams is passionate and confrontational, Franklin is measured and strategic. Their complementary temperaments help shepherd the document through a fractious Congress, Adams supplying argumentative fire and Franklin supplying calming prestige.

Franklin and King George III embody the Declaration's most personal subtext. Franklin's long years as a colonial representative in London, attempting direct negotiation with the Crown's government, make his endorsement of the Declaration's itemized grievances against the King an intimate as well as political repudiation. His signature translates every abstract complaint in the document into lived experience.

Franklin and Parliament carry similar weight: Franklin had petitioned Parliament directly and watched those petitions fail. His ultimate rejection of parliamentary sovereignty—embedded in his support for the Declaration—validates the document's argument that Britain's legislature had forfeited any legitimate authority over American affairs.

05·Connected characters

How is Benjamin Franklin connected to the other characters?

Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson is the primary drafter of the Declaration, and Franklin serves as his senior committee colleague and reviser. Franklin's light editorial touches on Jefferson's draft—most famously changing 'sacred and undeniable' truths to 'self-evident' truths—demonstrate his rhetorical precision and mentorship role. He supports Jefferson's authorship while lending it elder-statesman authority.

John Adams

Adams and Franklin are the two most prominent figures on the Committee of Five. Adams championed Jefferson as drafter and worked alongside Franklin to shepherd the document through congressional debate. Their shared commitment to independence unites them despite differing temperaments—Adams passionate and blunt, Franklin measured and diplomatic.

Roger Sherman

Sherman is a fellow committee member whose Puritan pragmatism complements Franklin's Enlightenment rationalism. Both men bring legitimacy to the committee from different regional and ideological traditions, and their joint endorsement signals broad colonial consensus for the Declaration.

Robert R. Livingston

Livingston serves alongside Franklin on the Committee of Five, representing the middle colonies. Franklin's seniority and prestige help unify committee members like Livingston, whose own colony (New York) was among the most hesitant about full independence.

King George III

Franklin's relationship with the Crown is one of the Declaration's most poignant subtexts. Once a loyal subject who spent years in London seeking reconciliation, Franklin's endorsement of the Declaration's long list of grievances against King George III marks his definitive personal and political rupture with British authority.

The British Parliament

Franklin had previously petitioned and negotiated with Parliament on behalf of the colonies. His ultimate rejection of parliamentary sovereignty, embodied in his signing onto the Declaration, underscores how thoroughly Britain's legislative body had, in the colonists' view, forfeited its legitimacy over American affairs.

The American People (Colonists)

Franklin is perhaps the colonist most recognizable to the world as a symbol of American ingenuity and virtue. His commitment to the Declaration gives the American people a figure of universal respect behind their cause, and the document's assertion of rights he endorses speaks directly to the freedoms he had championed throughout his public life.

Study06–07

06·Questions

Questions readers ask about Benjamin Franklin

Why was Benjamin Franklin chosen for the Committee of Five?

Franklin was chosen due to his extensive diplomatic experience, scientific reputation, and political credibility, which made the case for independence appear considered and legitimate rather than impulsive. At seventy, he was the oldest committee member and most internationally recognized, having navigated the political landscape of London and Paris. His involvement indicated to European courts and doubtful colonists that the movement for separation had the backing of a respected figure.

What is Benjamin Franklin's most famous edit to the Declaration of Independence?

Franklin revised Jefferson's phrase describing certain truths as "sacred and undeniable" to "self-evident." This change transformed the Declaration's foundational statements from religious revelation to rational logic, establishing the document on Enlightenment principles rather than scripture. Although a brief edit, it holds significant implications, representing Franklin's preference for empirical clarity over elaborate assertion.

Was Benjamin Franklin originally a supporter of American independence?

No — prior to 1776, Franklin worked as a colonial agent in London, trying to negotiate with Parliament for reconciliation with Britain. His journey reflects a gradual, painful transformation: a longstanding loyalist who explored every other avenue before supporting separation. This background enhances the power of his eventual support for independence, as it carried the authority of a moderate elder who had genuinely sought an alternative.

How does Benjamin Franklin's relationship with King George III shape his role in the Declaration?

Franklin's years spent representing the colonies in London and trying to negotiate directly with the Crown infuse his endorsement of the Declaration's grievances against King George III with personal significance. His signature embodies the transition from abstract complaints to lived experiences, making his break with British authority not merely a political move but a deeply personal conclusion from someone who once fulfilled the role of a loyal subject.

How did Benjamin Franklin work with Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration?

Franklin acted as Jefferson's senior colleague on the committee, revising the draft while allowing Jefferson to retain authorship. His influence manifested in restraint and precision — the famous edit from "sacred and undeniable" to "self-evident" enhances Jefferson's prose without overshadowing it. Franklin's readiness to support the younger man's role highlights his belief that unity among delegates was more important than individual recognition.

What did Benjamin Franklin's signing of the Declaration risk for him personally?

Signing the Declaration represented, as all delegates recognized, a potential act of treason against the British Crown. For Franklin, who had served the Crown as a colonial representative, this act marked a definitive break. It signified his irreversible transition from a loyalist seeking reconciliation to a committed revolutionary, risking both his life and reputation alongside his younger counterparts.

How did Benjamin Franklin's relationship with John Adams shape the Declaration's passage through Congress?

Franklin and Adams developed a complementary partnership on the Committee of Five: Adams brought passionate advocacy and assertiveness, while Franklin contributed calm diplomacy and prestige. Together, their differing temperaments facilitated the document's passage through a divided Congress. Adams promoted Jefferson as the primary drafter, and Franklin's seniority helped unify reluctant delegates, endowing the finished document with both vigor and authority.

How does Benjamin Franklin's Enlightenment philosophy connect to the Declaration's ideas?

The core principles of the Declaration — natural rights, government by consent, and self-evident truths — align with concepts that Franklin had supported in his scientific and civic writings for years. His backing of the document reflects both philosophical and political alignment. The revision of "sacred and undeniable" to "self-evident" serves as clear evidence of this alignment, as he steered the Declaration's reasoning toward rational, universal logic, which is foundational to Enlightenment thought.

07·Essay angles

Use this in your essay

Tool · Essay angles

  • The rhetoric of "self-evident": How does Franklin's reported revision of Jefferson's phrase reflect Enlightenment philosophy, and what does it reveal about the rhetorical strategy the Declaration employs to build a universally persuasive argument?

  • Conversion and credibility: In what ways does Franklin's prior role as a loyalist-seeking-reconciliation make his endorsement of independence more rhetorically powerful than that of any other committee member?

  • Age, authority, and legitimacy: Analyze how Franklin's seniority functions as a political instrument—how does his presence on the Committee of Five shape the world's reception of the Declaration?

  • Collaboration versus authorship: What does Franklin's decision to defer to Jefferson's draftsmanship suggest about the Declaration's construction as a collective, rather than individual, act of authorship, and what are the implications for how we read the document?

  • The limits of negotiation: Using Franklin's diplomatic history with Britain as context, argue that the Declaration's list of grievances against King George III represents not only a political indictment but a personal record of failed diplomacy.

The Declaration of Independence

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