Why was Ben Franklin concidered a founding father?

[foxy]

Was he ever a member of political party?

[Khephra]

1. Here's a few reasons

Franklin was elected to the Second Continental Congress and worked on a committee of five that helped to draft the Declaration of Independence. Though much of the writing is Thomas Jefferson's, much of the contribution is Franklin's. In 1776 Franklin signed the Declaration, and afterward sailed to France as an ambassador to the Court of Louis XVI.


http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/facts/

[foxy]

4. Thank you

When was the constitution written?
What year was it he went as ambassador?

ps personal arguement going on just need a little help from yawl.

[proud patriot]

5. See my post below

For answers to those questions

[jpgray]

2. Without France, the war would have proven a bit more difficult

:)

Plus we got a cool statue.

[proud patriot]

3. here

Benjamin Franklin stands tall among a small group of men we call our Founding Fathers. Ben used his diplomacy skills to serve his fellow countrymen. His role in the American Revolution was not played out on the battlefields like George Washington, but rather in the halls and staterooms of governments. His clear vision of the way things should be, and his skill in both writing and negotiating, helped him to shape the future of the United States of America.

Ben stands alone as the only person to have signed all four of the documents which helped to create the United States: the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance, Amity, and Commerce with France (1778), the Treaty of Peace between England, France, and the United States (1782), and the Constitution (1787). He actually helped to write parts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. No other individual was more involved in the birth of our nation.

Besides helping to mold the United States of America, Ben helped to make everyday life in the city better. He served as Postmaster, helping to set up the postal system in Philadelphia. In order to make Philadelphia a safer city, he started the Union Fire Company in 1736. A few years later, in 1752, he set up America's first fire insurance company. He even organized a Night Watch and Militia to help keep peace and safety in Philadelphia. While in Paris, Ben proposed the idea of Daylight Savings Time.

Today, America's leadership and government are found in Washington, DC. In the late 1700s, that leadership was in Philadelphia because that's where Ben Franklin was.


http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/statsman/statsman.html

[foxy]

6. What were his basic political beliefs?

[proud patriot]

7. here

http://www.thinkarete.com/quotes/by_teacher/benjamin_franklin/

http://www.cafeshops.com/sisyphus/92282

http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/philadelphia/grave.htm

http://www.egeeart.com/Benjamin_Franklin.htm

decide for yourself

[foxy]

8. Thank you

Greatly appreciated

[mobuto]

11. I think Franklin's interesting in part because he

represents the middle class in a revolution that we generally think of as being waged by wealthy Virginia planters and Boston merchants.

Compared to Hamilton, Madison and John Adams, his views were radical, egalitarian, and populist. I see him as being the effective leader of that radical school of Benjamin Rush, Sam Adams, Tom Paine and others that has largely been margianalized by the history books.

[mikehiggins]

15. Like several of his peers he was a Freemason. n/t

[Breezy du Nord]

9. He liked turkeys (if i remember right)

He's cool!

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. He was the first person to know how many congressmen it takes to screw in

a lightbulb.

The answer, he said, depends on whether it's an election year.

[Tredge]

12. Quite!

"He was the first person to know how many congressmen it takes to screw in a lightbulb.

Yeah, and if he'd lived another year or two he'd probably have discovered the lightbulb too!

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. Just two?

Link!

[THUNDER HANDS]

13. because he smoked up all the other founding fathers?

except Jefferson, who had his own stash. :D