Benjamin Franklin

A Republic. But They Didn’t Keep it

by Michael Boldin | Sep 17, 2023 | Benjamin Franklin, Constitution

A Republic, if you can keep it. We’ve all heard this phrase – it’s almost legendary. People have used it in campaigns, slogans, as a book title, in support or against all kinds of things. First of all, considering the fact that we live under the largest...

Neither Liberty Nor Safety

by Judge Andrew Napolitano | Aug 31, 2023 | Benjamin Franklin, Current Events, Founding Principles, Surveillance

Benjamin Franklin’s famous one-liner about the relationship between liberty and safety has intrigued me since I first read it in high school. Why would anyone sacrifice personal liberty? And how does that sacrifice equate to temporary safety? When Franklin...

Benjamin Franklin Speech Exposes the Inherent Danger of Power and Money

by Mike Maharrey | May 30, 2023 | Article II, Benjamin Franklin, Constitution

On June 2, 1787, Benjamin Franklin delivered a speech at the Philadelphia Convention opposing a provision in the proposed Constitution to pay the president a salary. The speech reveals some important aspects of human nature that we should keep in mind today. Franklin...

Constitutional Genealogy: Benjamin Franklin’s First Articles of Confederation

by Mike Maharrey | Oct 31, 2022 | Articles of Confederation, Benjamin Franklin, Founding Principles

Most people recognize that the Constitution evolved out of the Articles of Confederation. But the Articles were also part of a long evolution in political thought and constitutionalism that started long before the colonies’ quest for independence. An important...

Today in History: Benjamin Franklin Urges Adoption of the Constitution with a Warning

by Mike Maharrey | Sep 17, 2022 | Benjamin Franklin, Constitution, Constitutional Convention, History

On this date in 1787, James Wilson delivered a speech written by Benjamin Franklin on the last day of the Philadelphia Convention. The speech urged the adoption of the Constitution despite Franklin’s reservations. In the opening words of the speech, Franklin...

Today in History: Benjamin Franklin Introduces Plan for American Confederation

by Mike Maharrey | Jul 21, 2022 | Articles of Confederation, Benjamin Franklin, Founding Principles

On this date in 1775, Benjamin Franklin introduced in the Second Continental Congress a formal plan for a confederation of the American colonies. Franklin introduced his plan, “The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union,” nearly a year before...

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