Benjamin Franklin
Neither Liberty Nor Safety
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
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
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...
Benjamin Franklin Urges Adoption of the Constitution with a Warning
On September 17, 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 – and prediction that the system would...