Quick American History Lesson

In 1757, Benjamin Franklin went to England to represent Pennsylvania to protest against the political influence of the Penn family, the proprietors of the Pennsylvania colony. He remained in England for five years, striving to end the proprietors' prerogative to overturn legislation from the elected Assembly, and the Penn family descendants' exemption from paying taxes on their land. He remained in England to 1775, as a Colonial representative for Pennsylvania as well as Georgia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

At this time, Franklin considered himself a loyal Englishman. England was the cool, hip place to be. But, in 1765, Franklin supported the colonies' overwhelming opposition to the Stamp Act, which required all print materials to carry a tax stamp, which was to pay for the British troops stationed in the colonies from the Seven Years' War. Franklin's testimony before the British Parliament helped persuade the members to repeal the law. But, growing sick of the corruption he saw all around him in politics and royal circles, he started wondering if America should break free of England. Franklin, who had proposed a plan for united colonies in 1754, now would earnestly start working toward that goal.

Franklin's big break with England occurred in the "Hutchinson Affair." Thomas Hutchinson was an English-appointed governor of Massachusetts. Franklin got hold of Huntinson's private letters, leaked them to the colonies, and proved Governor Hutchinson and the Lieutenant Governor Andrew Olivier were encouraging London to crack down on the rights of the Bostonians. After that, Franklin was called to Whitehall, the English Foreign Ministry, where he was condemned in public by the Privy Council. Ben Franklin left London in March 1775 in disgrace.

And yet, there is a museum in his only surviving house, 36 Craven Street, near Trafalgar Square. Interesting that this man was laughed out of this country to create my country but still has a museum here.