Benjamin Franklin in London : the British life of America's founding father / George Goodwin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Goodwin, George, 1956- author.

Series:

The Lewis Walpole Series in Eighteenth-C

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790.

Franklin, Benjamin.

Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790--Friends and associates.

Americans--England--London--History--18th century.

Americans.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (396 p.)

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press, [2016]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

An absorbing and enlightening chronicle of the nearly two decades the American statesman, scientist, author, inventor, and Founding Father spent in the British imperial capital of colonial America For more than one-fifth of his life, Benjamin Franklin lived in London. He dined with prime ministers, members of parliament, even kings, as well as with Britain's most esteemed intellectuals-including David Hume, Joseph Priestley, and Erasmus Darwin-and with more notorious individuals, such as Francis Dashwood and James Boswell. Having spent eighteen formative months in England as a young man, Franklin returned in 1757 as a colonial representative during the Seven Years' War, and left abruptly just prior to the outbreak of America's War of Independence, barely escaping his impending arrest. In this fascinating history, George Goodwin gives a colorful account of Franklin's British years. The author offers a rich and revealing portrait of one of the most remarkable figures in U.S. history, effectively disputing the commonly held perception of Franklin as an outsider in British politics. It is an enthralling study of an American patriot who was a fiercely loyal British citizen for most of his life-until forces he had sought and failed to control finally made him a reluctant revolutionary at the age of sixty-nine.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

List of Illustrations

Note on Spelling and Punctuation

Prologue

1. 1706-1724: Life Before London

2. 1724-1726: A Young Man in London

3. 1726-c.1748: Foundations

4. c.1748-1757: Conductor

5. 1757: Return to London

6. 1757-1758: A London Life

7. 1758 Onwards: Benjamin Franklin's British Family

8. 1758-1762: Moves and Countermoves

9. 1762-1764: Intermission

10. 1764-1766: The Stamp Act

11. 1766-1770: Pivotal Years

12. Home Comforts and Discomforts

13. 1770-c.1771: Seeking Balance

14. 1771-1772: Movements

15. 1772-1774: Drawn to the Cockpit

16. 1774-1775: The Last Year in London

Aftermath - 'A Little Revenge'

Selected Places to Visit and Related Organizations

Bibliography

Notes

Acknowledgements

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 285-297) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-300-22294-7

OCLC:

1149394262