The Making of a Patriot
Synopsis
On January 29, 1774, Benjamin Franklin was called to appear before the Privy Council - a select group of the King's advisors - in an octagonal-shaped room in Whitehall Palace known as the Cockpit. Spurred by jeers and applause from the audience in the Cockpit, Solicitor General AlexanderWedderburn unleashed a withering tirade against Franklin. Though Franklin entered the room as a dutiful servant of the British crown, he left as a budding American Revolutionary. In The Making of a Patriot, renowned Franklin historian Sheila Skemp presents a insightful, lively narrative that goes beyond the traditional Franklin biography - and behind the common myths - to demonstrate how Franklin's ultimate decision to support the colonists was by no means a foregoneconclusion. In fact, up until the Cockpit ordeal, he was steadfastly committed to achieving "an accommodation of our differences. " The Making of a Patriot also sheds light on the conspiratorial framework within which actors on both sides of the Atlantic moved toward revolution and it highlights howthis event ultimately pitted Franklin against his son, suggesting that the Revolution was, in no small part, also a civil war.
- Copyright:
- 2013 Oxford University Press
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- ISBN-13:
- 9780195386578
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- Date of Addition:
- 2015-11-30T21:26:27Z
- Language:
- English
- Categories:
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.