The American Revolution is an important event that politically changed the boundaries of North America and created a country that eventually became a global superpower. Many remarkable men not only contributed to the revolution, but were also involved in the building of an American constitution. Among these men was Benjamin Franklin. He was involved in the American Revolution from the beginning to the end. He represented America overseas and he was one of the four founders of the United States. Benjamin Franklin was an important character in the American Revolution because of the roles he played before, during and after the Revolution.

Benjamin Franklin played a large role overseas in the American Revolution. Firstly, Benjamin Franklin was among the protesters who complained that the British government was treating the Americans poorly. He represented these protesters by going Britain and requesting an alteration in British treatment towards American colonies and American citizens. Benjamin Franklin informed the British that the Americans were in a state of anger. He went, “to England in the anticipation of a short stay, with no purpose beyond the presentation and urging of the petition for the change of government.”1 As the American representative, he tried his best to ensure that the American citizens were treated fairly by the British crown and government. He displayed to the British the sparks of revolutionary ideas and American ideals, an extremely important aspect of the revolution. Secondly, it was Benjamin Franklin who requested for French aid during the war.

“Franklin’s duty was to get from France just as much aid, direct and indirect, as could be either begged or filched from her…France was willing to go fully as far as she could with safety; his function was to order, to push, to pull, to entice, even to mislead, in order to make her go farther. Perhaps it w-as a fair game France had her interest to see Great Britain dismembered and weakened.” 2

Franklin was almost completely responsible in convincing France to help America fight against the British forces. This is what allowed for the American victory as, “without the French funds, the revolution would have collapsed; by a conservative estimate, America’s independence cost France more than one and a third billion livres, the equivalent of 13 billion today.”[3] Without the French forces, there would have been no way that the Americans could have won the revolution. The only reason that the French decided to help was because Benjamin Franklin, America’s self taught genius, had requested for their assistance. Therefore, the victorious outcome of the American Revolution is accredited to Benjamin Franklin, who was America’s overseas representative.

Benjamin Franklin, America’s first scientist, served his country very well. He was one of America’s four founding fathers. He not only signed and edited the Declaration of Independence, but he also assisted John Adams, who was mainly responsible for the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, in the composition of an initial copy of the document. This accomplishment has only been achieved by a very miniscule part of the American population, an elite group of idealists and revolutionaries. Four of the five men who had done so were eventually named as the founding fathers of the United States. As well as helping with the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin also helped create the American Constitution. He was a “delegate to the constitutional convention.”[4] He designed many of the laws in the American constitution. He helped create many of the original ideas and the ideals, many of which are still present today. Lastly, Franklin earned the title of a founding father because he was one of the original revolutionaries. . In May of 1751, Benjamin Franklin, “wrote a bitter editorial against the British for shipping convicts to America and followed it up a month later with a satire proposing that America ships rattlesnakes to England in return for the convicts”[5] Benjamin Franklin played a key role in starting the revolution; therefore, he is recognised as one of America’s four founding fathers. Benjamin Franklin was a significant founder of America because he not only signed the declaration of independence but also helped create the American Constitution.

In conclusion, Benjamin Franklin was a distinguished character in the American Revolution. He was one of the first revolutionaries, he represented the United States in Britain, he convinced the French to assist the Americans against the British, he signed and edited the Declaration of Independence and he helped create what is now known as the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Benjamin Franklin played a very consequential role in the American Revolution and his name will forever be engraved in American history.

[1] John T. Morse, Benjamin Franklin, Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company: 1917,pg. 100          

[2] Benjamin Franklin, page 248-249

[3] Stacy Schiff, A Great Improvisation. Franklin, France and the birth of America, Yale, Yale University                                                                                                                                                                                                    Press and the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary: 2005, page 5

[4] Brian M. Barbour, A Collection of Critical Essays, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall : 1979, page 173

[5] Page Talbott, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World¸ Yale, Yale University Press, page 33