Ben Franklin

Benjamin Franklin, the author of the letters that compose the book Benjamin Franklin, A biography in his own words, Talks in some depth about his efforts to have the stamp act repealed. Franklin notes at one point he was in an extremely embarrassing situation. Grenville, in order to make the stamp act more palatable to Americans, had asked Colonial agents to recommend reliable men for the job of stamp commissioners in the various Colonies. For Pennsylvania, Franklin recommended his friend John Hughes. This made it seem to many in Pennsylvania that Franklin not only approved of the act but had actually played a part in helping to pass it. Hughes and others were soon writing Franklin letters that brought home to him the seriousness and significance of the American resistance to the Stamp Act. Hughes frankly discussed the possibility of being murdered. The climax to this stream of bad news from American was a report from Deborah that mobs had threatened her and Sally in the house t...