5 Wishes Document

5 Wishes Document

Philosophical Society” for the purpose of enabling scientific

men to communicate their discoveries to one another. He

himself had already begun his electrical researches, which,

with other scientific inquiries, he called on in the intervals

of money-making and politics to the end of his life. In 1748

he sold his business in order to get leisure for study, having

now acquired comparative wealth; and in a few years he had

made discoveries that gave him a reputation with the learned

throughout Europe. In politics he proved very able both as

an administrator and as a controversialist; but his record as

an office-holder is stained by the use he made of his position to advance his relatives. His most notable service in

home politics was his reform of the postal system; but his

fame as a statesman rests chiefly on his services in connection with the relations of the Colonies with Great Britain,

and later with France. In 1757 he was sent to England to

protest against the influence of the Penns in the government of the colony, and for five years he remained there,

striving to enlighten the people and the ministry of England as to Colonial conditions. On his return to America he

played an honorable part in the Paxton affair, through which

he lost his seat in the Assembly; but in 1764 he was again

despatched to England as agent for the colony, this time to

petition the King to resume the government from the hands

of the proprietors. In London he actively opposed the proposed Stamp Act, but lost the credit for this and much of

his popularity through his securing for a friend the office of

stamp agent in America. Even his effective work in helping

to obtain the repeal of the act left him still a suspect; but

he continued his efforts to present the case for the Colonies

as the troubles thickened toward the crisis of the Revolution. In 1767 he crossed to France, where he was received

with honor; but before his return home in 1775 he lost his

position as postmaster through his share in divulging to

Massachusetts the famous letter of Hutchinson and Oliver.

On his arrival in Philadelphia he was chosen a member of

the Continental Congress and in 1777 he was dispatched to

France as commissioner for the United States. Here he remained till 1785, the favorite of French society; and with

such success did he conduct the affairs of his country that

when he finally returned he received a place only second to

that of Washington as the champion of American indepe

5 Wishes Document

5 Wishes Document

5 Wishes Document

5 Wishes Document

5 Wishes Document

5 Wishes Document

5 Wishes Document

5 Wishes Document

5 Wishes Document