Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership

This book explores the relationship between Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, the two founding fathers who loom over the rest. This book can be read as two brief, intertwining biographies, but where it really shines is in its comparison between these two figures. Each Franklin and Washington are the subjects of their own biographies (hundreds of them), but looking at the two men together brings something new to each. They certainly both worked, together and separately, to create the United States, and played pivotal, but different, roles. In the end, however, Franklin appears to be the wiser man, recognizing his place in history and evolving his in own thoughts, especially on slavery. Washington, though, remains an enigma, but show more with possibly less noble intentions behind his silence than some have supposed. Excellent reading and a thoughtful work of history. show less

Larson has a solid reputation as an author of a number of historical nonfiction books. He crams in so much detail that it read too much like a classroom history book for my tastes. He did relate a great deal that I did not know even though I studied American History in college.

Washington and Franklin began their working partnership during the French and Indian War, Washington as a military leader from Virginia and Franklin both as political and military leader from Pennsylvania. Throughout their thirty years as colleagues and friends, Franklin supported Washington's military leadership with his wit, his newspaper, and his skills as a diplomat with broad connections.

The Continental Congress had little to no power whatsoever. Each state show more maintained its soverignty and refused to supply the funds needed to support the Continental Army. Consequently, there was a great deal of unrest and anger among the officers and troops during and after the war for lack of pay. Shay's Rebellion was a response to this failure to act. Without Franklin's ability to enlist France's financial support, the Revolution was doomed to failure.

There were two important and distinct differences between Franklin and Washington, both of which created conflict during the writing of the Constitution. Franklin was an abolitionist and Washington a slave holder, a prime issue in the writing of the Consitution. Franklin was also opposed to a powerful executive branch and supported a triumvirate approach like the Romans. Washington would not even consider such a possibility. Inspite of their difference, these two came together to win their people's freedom and to create the foundation of the American way of government and life. show less

Another WOKE SJW . Slavery is everything . Skip this garbage .