Benjamin Franklin Deserves More Credit

George Washington is frequently referred to as the father of our country having served as the Commander of the Continental Army in the War of Independence and as the First US President. It was George Washington's wisdom that shaped the form of government in the US and arguably ensured that the new nation survived the birth. He was instrumental in establishing the balance of power between Congress and the Executive branch refusing to making significant decisions without the participation of Congress. He refused to accept a 3rd term as president and assiduously avoided imbuing the presidency with the trappings of a monarchy most famously instructing those he came in contact with to refer to him as Mr. President rather than as 'Your Highness' as many were inclined to do so. He set the tone and the rest is, as we say history.

Benjamin Franklin was instrumental in forging a consensus in the drafting of the US Constitution and without him, if less wise and hotter heads had prevailed, it is unlikely that the Constitution would ever have been finished at least in the form that has proven so robust over the centuries. In addition to guiding the development of the US Constitution, we have Franklin to thank for establishing much of the infrastructure that would serve is so well of the centuries. Franklin established the first public lending library, the first fire department and what would become the US Post Office.

However, there are perhaps more important accomplishments to credit to Franklin. Arguably, Benjamin Franklin deserves as much if not more credit than George Washington for the military success against the British without which the US would never have been born. I am comfortable in saying that without Franklin's contribution, the US would have lost the War of Independence with the British and remained a colony.

Benjamin Franklin is almost solely responsible for arranging the support of France for the War of Independence. Without the support of France, the US would almost have certainly lost the war. Over a period of about 2 years, Franklin used his considerable skills of planning, communication, argument and leveraging his rock star like status in France to win French support. In the 18th century, scientists were accorded the fame that rock stars and performers are now accorded. Franklin was known as the "man who tamed lightening" for his experiments with electricity and kites with which every schoolchild is familiar with and the development of lightening rods which saved many buildings from lightening damage.

The support of France was essential to the winning of the war. The Battle of Yorktown was the decisive and last major battle of the War of Independence after which the British withdrew from America. It was a French General who persuaded Washington not to attack the heavily fortified New York City but rather to attack the British in Yorktown. During the battle, there were almost as many professional French soldiers attacking Yorktown as there were militia under Washington. 90% of the gunpowder and many of the weapons used in the Battle of Yorktown were supplied by the French as the US did not have a military manufacturing capability at the time. It was the French Fleet that prevented the British fleet which was en route to Yorktown to relieve the British with supplies, additional troops and to provide naval artillery support. The consequence of the French support was that the US won and defeated Cornwallis taking about 8,000 British prisoners as well as significant quantities of British military equipment and supplies.

Without Franklin and the support of France that he had arranged, the US could not have won the war. We repaid our debt to the French people with the liberation of France from Germany during World War II but we still owe a dept of gratitude to Franklin that is generally not recognized much less expressed.