Chapter 45

This chapter covers Franklin's critical role in the American Revolution during mid-1775 through late 1776, including his participation in the Continental Congress, his edits to Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, and his failed peace negotiations with Lord Howe on Staten Island.

Franklin returns to America in May 1775 and immediately immerses himself in Revolutionary politics. He serves in the Continental Congress and drafts proposals for confederation and vindication to Parliament. In summer 1776, he sits on the committee reviewing Jefferson's Declaration of Independence draft and makes key editorial changes, most notably altering Jefferson's phrase "sacred" to "self-evident" regarding human equality. As the war escalates, Franklin is appointed to negotiate with British Admiral Lord Howe. The Staten Island Conference of September 1776 proves fruitless—Howe cannot offer terms acceptable to the colonists, and the meeting results in no agreement. Meanwhile, Franklin's family fractures: his son William, now Royal Governor of New Jersey, remains loyal to the Crown and eventually turns hostile. Franklin's estrangement from William deepens as his commitment to independence solidifies. By September 1776, Franklin is preparing to depart for France to secure foreign support for the American cause.