Introduction
Franklin was one of America’s earliest patriots, publicly opposing British taxation of the American colonies. During the American Revolution, Franklin was a key delegate to the Continental Congress and was one of the five draft members of the Declaration of Independence. Due to Franklin’s contribution, the country was able to become independent and achieve its goals of starting development. His advocacy of democracy and individual liberty helped shape the political ideals of the United States, and his work on the nation’s Constitution helped create the foundation for the nation’s government. That is the reason why his figure in US history is so significant and important. His contribution to building the independence of the country is one of the most significant and partly because of the agreements he signed with different states.
Diplomatic Contribution
Franklin’s diplomatic skills are one of the reasons why he was able to succeed in negotiations. One of Franklin’s first and most significant contributions to the American Revolution was his participation in the 1754 Albany Congress (Cammiade, 2020). This meeting of representatives of the colonies was convened to discuss a common defense against threats from the French and Native Americans. At this meeting, Franklin proposed a plan that would unite the colonies under a single government. This strategy was rejected by all parties; however, it became the root cause that led to the emergence of a single colonial government. As history develops, this association will become a single independent country. In addition to his diplomatic mission, Franklin also paid great attention to the internal politics of the newly formed state. This made it possible to competently manage the changes that may occur and coordinate the actions of all authorities. He also served as a symbol of American values and ideals, and Franklin’s personal integrity and commitment to the cause of US independence inspired others to join the fight for freedom. Thus, his writing and scientific work can be called a significant contribution to the construction of the country.
Another notable contribution of Benjamin Franklin during the American Revolution was helping draft the Declaration of Independence and successfully negotiate an alliance with France. In 1776, Franklin was on a committee of five that helped draft the Declaration of Independence (Abrams, 2019). Later that year, Congress sent Franklin to France, and he got their support against the British. The French agreed to provide soldiers, supplies, and money for the colonial war effort. Franklin was chosen by the Continental Congress to travel to France because there were no figures among them who could match Franklin’s experience, eloquence, and accomplishments. He was a member of the committee responsible for the development of the document and made a significant contribution to the formulation of its main provisions and theses. His diplomatic skills at the time were critical in securing support from France, which was a great ally of the American Revolution. As minister to France, Franklin used long-standing hostilities between England and France to persuade the French government to come to the aid of the colonies. His presence greatly disturbed the British minister sent to France at the time.
Franklin’s diplomatic skills were of significant influence in concluding allied agreements with Spain. In 1779, he travelled to Madrid to negotiate an alliance treaty between the United States and Spain (Kagan, 2019). The Spanish government was not initially interested in helping the colonies, and the monarch was not going to provide any assistance. However, due to his professional rhetoric skills, Franklin was able to convince the Spaniards that this alliance would benefit both sides. Thus, thanks to this agreement, America received significant military assistance, which helped her over time (Kagan, 2019). Franklin’s diplomatic efforts later played a key role in securing a peace treaty with Great Britain in 1783 that ended the war (Norwood, 2020). Thus, Benjamin Franklin directly took a great part in shaping the independence of the country because he made many important decisions.
Scientific Contribution to the Revolution
Franklin’s contribution can be assessed not only from a political point of view. He was one of the important figures in the country’s scientific field because he invented many items that helped the revolutionaries. Among these technological contributions is a new model of the furnace that was much more efficient than the previous one and allowed the military to warm up better (Scholtz et al., 2022). In addition, equipment and weapons are an important element for a warring army. Franklin invented an improved machine for the production of barrels for muskets (Scholtz et al., 2022). The resistance forces were able to significantly increase the effectiveness of their army and, as a result, intensify military operations. Thus, it can be argued that Franklin’s contribution to science was significant, and his work in this area helped the United States become a leader in scientific research and innovation in the future. He conducted a number of pioneering experiments with electricity and invented important scientific instruments, such as lightning rods and bifocals. Thus, the people realized their unity and could better perceive the values for which their country was fighting.
Spreading the Ideas of the Revolution
Benjamin Franklin played an important role as a propagandist during the American Revolution. He used his writing skills and talents to advance American interests. He wrote many pamphlets, essays and nonfiction works that people read both in the colonies and in Europe. Thus, the influence of revolutionary sentiment could effectively spread throughout the States, which helped to agitate people and encourage them to revolt. For Europeans at that time, such literature was important, as they could learn about the intentions of the Americans. Right around the time of the War, Franklin continued to write various works influencing people in order to promote the values of the revolution.
Conclusion
It is important to note that Benjamin Franklin was the most prominent representative of the resistance in the United States. He helped the revolutionary cause in all respects at once. His diplomatic efforts helped secure important alliances and aid for America, while his propaganda skills helped galvanize support for the revolution in the colonies and abroad. In addition, the scientific contribution to the war is a significant and indisputable factor in the successful actions of the American army. Franklin’s influence on the founding of the United States is quite large, and without his efforts, the country would hardly have been able to achieve such results in the struggle for independence.
References
Abrams, D. E. (2019). America’s Founding Editors: Writing the Declaration of Independence. Journal of the Missouri Bar, 75(135). Web.
Cammiade, A. (2020). Franklin and the war of American independence. Routledge.
Kagan, R. L. (2019). The Spanish craze: America’s fascination with the Hispanic world, 1779-1939. University of Nebraska Press.
Norwood, D. A. (2020). The Constitutional consequences of the commercial crisis: The role of trade reconsidered in the “Critical Period”. Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 18(4), 490-524. Web.
Scholtz, S., Becker, M., MacMorris, L., & Langenbucher, A. (2022). Franklin. From reading stones to bifocals. In Curiosities in medicine: Alphabetically (pp. 95-97). Cham: Springer International Publishing.