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 Alexander Wedderburn 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 L. Skemp presents an 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 foregone conclusion. In fact; up until the Cockpit ordeal; he was steadfastly committed to achieving "an accommodation of our differences."The Making of a Patriot sheds light on the conspiratorial framework within which actors on both sides of the Atlantic moved toward revolution. It highlights how this event ultimately pitted Franklin against his son; suggesting that the Revolution was; in no small part; also a civil war.
#324817 in Books 2010-02-02Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.90 x .70 x 9.90l; 1.25 #File Name: 0195373138328 pages
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