The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin (142 page)

191–92 “I was never”: to Collinson, Mar. 28, 1747.

192 “We say
B
”: to Collinson, May 25, 1747.

192 “I have observed”: to Collinson, Aug. 14, 1747.

193 “I have imparted”: from Collinson, Apr. 12, 1748.

193 “I am pleased”: to Collinson, Oct. 18, 1748.

193–94 “what we called … battery”: to Collinson, Apr. 29, 1749.

194 “The most interested”: Joseph Priestley,
The History and Present State of Electricity, with Original Experiments
(London, 1767), 153.

194 “new and very curious … electrical strokes”: report by William Watson to the Royal Society, Jan. 11, 1750, PBF.

195 “free from … native soil”:
PG,
Aug. 24, 1749.

195–96 “The best … and frugally”:
Proposals Relating to the Education of the Youth in Pennsylvania, PBF,
3:397ff.

196 “Our Academy”: to Jared Eliot, Sept. 12, 1751.

197 “Billy is so fond”: to John Franklin, Apr. 2, 1747.

197 “My son”: to Colden, June 5, 1747.

197 “It was intended”: to Strahan, Oct. 19, 1748.

198–99 “Please to acquaint … I know not”: to Collinson, Feb. 4, 1750.

199 “earthquake of the air”:
Benjamin Franklin’s Experiments,
ed. I. Bernard Cohen (Cambridge, Mass, 1941), 105.

199 “The flame”:
ibid.,
106.

200 “It has been fatal”: to Mitchell, Apr. 29, 1749.

200 “Your very curious”: from Collinson, Feb. 5, 1750.

200 “The doctrine”: to Collinson, Mar. 2, 1750.

200–1 “To determine”: enclosure in letter to Collinson, July 29, 1750.

202 “Silk is fitter”: PG, Oct. 19, 1752, PBF.

202 “At length”: Priestley,
History and Present State of Electricity,
180–81. 203–4 “Abstracted … my memory”:
The Speech of Miss Polly Baker, PBF,
3:123–25.

205 “Though some others”: speech by Earl of Macclesfield, Nov. 30, 1753,
PBF.

205 “a very able”: William Watson on BF’s “Opinions and Conjectures,” June 6, 1751, PBF.

205 “Every circumstance”: Priestley, History and Present State of Electricity, 179–80.

205 “universally admired … esteem of our nation”: Guillaume Mazéas to Stephen Hales, May 20, 1752,
PBF,
4:315–17.

206 “The Tatler”: to Eliot, Apr. 12, 1753.

9. A TASTE OF POLITICS: 1751–54

208 “not wishing … any magician”: to Collinson, 1752?,
PBF,
4:393–96.

208–9 “More knowledge … unsolicited”:
ABF,
197.

211 “We are made”: Joseph Kelley,
Pennsylvania,
169.

211 “rabble butchers”:
ibid.,
170.

213 “from that period”:
Report on the State of the Currency,
Aug. 19, 1752.

213 “very unseasonable”:
PBF,
4:496.

213–14 “The Constable”:
ABF,
173.

214 “Up Front-street … necessity”: Order of the Mayor and Aldermen, July 7, 1752, PBF.

215 “Last Thursday … murder the rest”:
PG,
Apr. 11, 1751, PBF.

216 “felons-convict … convict does not”:
PG,
May 9, 1751, PBF.

216–17 “It is almost”: Joseph J. Kelley Jr.,
Life and Times in Colonial Philadelphia
(Harrisburg, Pa., 1973), 138.

217 “penitentiary … Spirit’s keenness”: Paul A. W. Wallace,
Conrad Weiser
(Philadelphia, 1945), 51–52.

218–19 “As few … precarious”: to Collinson, May 9, 1753.

219 “The German women”: to Collinson, undated 1753.

220–221 “offspring … reclaiming them”: to Collinson, May 9, 1753.

222 “as far as a man”: Harry Emerson Wildes,
The Delaware
(New York, 1940), 102.

223 “No sit down … it was done”: William Mason Cornell,
The History of Pennsylvania
(Philadelphia, 1876), 105–6.

224 “good things”:
Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America,
Lemay, 969ff.

225–26 “Brethren … their backs”: Report on the Treaty of Carlisle, Nov. 1, 1753, PBF.

227 “They were near”:
ABF,
198–99.

227 “to an inconceivable”: Report, Nov. 1, 1753, PBF.

10. JOIN OR DIE: 1754–55

230 “little known”: Howard Peckham,
The Colonial Wars,
125.

230 “He is more English”: William A. Hunter,
Forts on the Pennsylvania Frontier, 1753–1758
(Harrisburg, Pa., 1960), 141.

232 “assassinated”: Articles of Capitulation, July 3, 1754, Papers of Washington.

232 “I fortunately escaped”: George Washington to John Augustine Washington, May 31, 1754, ibid.

232 “He would not say”:
ibid.,
1:119.

232–33 “It would be … by Parliament”: to James Parker, Mar. 20, 1751.

234 “Friday last”:
PG,
May 9, 1754,
PBF.

235 “to be sent home”: to James Alexander and Cadwallader Colden, June 8, 1754.

236–37 “a quietist … sort of government”: Bernard Bailyn,
The Ordeal of Thomas Hutchinson
(Cambridge, Mass., 1974), 10–17.

236 “There has never”:
Representation of the Present State of the Colonies,
July 9, 1754,
PBF.

237–38 “When one”: to Colden, July 14, 1754.

238 “President General”: Plan of Proposed Union, July 10, 1754.

238 “We had a great deal”: to Colden, July 14, 1754.

238 “How they will relish it”:
ibid.

239 “Excluding the people”: to Shirley, Dec. 4, 1754.

239–40 “Such an Union … of the whole”: to Shirley, Dec. 22, 1754.

240 “I am very weeke”: from Abiah Franklin, Oct. 14, 1751.

240–41 “I received yours”: to Jane Mecom, May 21, 1752.

241 “I am confident”: to Mecom, undated,
PBF,
2:448.

241–42 “I am frequently … I love him”: to Mecom, undated,
PBF,
3:301–4.

242 “That island”: to Mecom, Sept. 14, 1752.

242 “I fear”: to Mecom, Nov. 30, 1752.

243 “William is now”: to Abiah Franklin, Apr. 12, 1750.

243 “I have often seen”: Daniel Fisher diary, July 28, 1755,
PMHB
17 (1893), 276.

243–44 “is thought”: to Collinson, May 21, 1751.

245 “I wish”: from Collinson, Sept. 27, 1752.

245–46 “Land being thus”:
Observations concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, &c.: PBF,
4:227–34.

247 “Braddock is very Iroquois”: Joseph Kelley,
Pennsylvania,
322.

248 “The General told me”:
ibid.

248 “After taking”:
ABF,
223–24.

248 “These Americans”: J. Bennett Nolan,
General Benjamin Franklin: The Military Career of a Philosopher
(Philadelphia, 1936), 10.

249 “the service”: advertisement, Apr. 26, 1755.

249 “I cannot but honour”:
PBF,
6:22.

249 “parcel of traitors”: Kelley,
Pennsylvania,
323.

250 “What the devil”:
ABF,
228.

250 “I cannot describe”: Kelley,
Pennsylvania,
327.

251 “with about a dozen”:
ibid.,
327–28.

11. THE PEOPLE’S COLONEL: 1755–57

253 “I have succeeded”: Paul Wallace,
Conrad Weiser,
385, 395.

253 “All burned”:
ibid.,
410.

254 “most of the Indians”:
ibid.,
403.

254 “Almost all”: Joseph Kelley,
Pennsylvania,
339.

255 “The Quakers”: to Collinson, Aug. 27, 1755.

255 “My dear friend”:
ABF,
212.

256 “perfectly equitable”: Reply to the Governor, Aug. 5, 1755.

256 “How odious”: Reply, Aug. 8, 1755.

255–57 “Vassals must
follow”:
Reply, Aug. 19, 1775.

257 “We are not so absurd”: Reply, Sept. 29, 1755.

257 “Our answers … his own face”:
ABF,
213–14.

258 “the rashest … in flames”: to Collinson, Aug. 27, 1755.

259 “Your kind letter … of happiness”: to Catharine Ray, Mar. 4, 1755.

259–60 “Absence rather”: from Ray, June 28, 1755.

260 “You may write”: to Ray, [Mar.–Apr. 1755],
PBF,
5:535–37.

260 “I must confess … rather than come”: to Ray, Sept. 11, 1755.

261 “free gift”:
PBF,
6:130n.

261 “The Assembly”: Wallace,
Conrad Weiser,
411.

262 “back People … all their lies”: Morris to Penn, Nov. 28, 1755,
PBF.

262 “Since Mr. Franklin”: Nolan,
General Benjamin Franklin,
9. 262–63 “If we cannot”: to Partridge, Nov. 27, 1755.

263 “We meet”: to William Parsons, Dec. 5, 1755.

263 “I am no coward”:
PG,
Dec. 18, 1755, PBF.

264 “I was surprised”:
ABF,
231–32.

264 “The people here”: Nolan,
General Benjamin Franklin,
34.

264 “the quintessence”:
ibid.,
36.

264 “You are immediately”: Commissioners to Parsons, Dec. 29, 1755.

265 “Hills like Alps … can invent”: Thomas Lloyd to unknown, Jan. 30, 1756,
PBF,
6:380–82.