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During the American Revolution, the United States sent Benjamin Franklin on a diplomatic mission to France to gain resources and an alliance.
In Paris, he came face to face with François-Marie Arouet—better known as Voltaire.
Benjamin Franklin met Voltaire at the Paris Academy of Sciences on April 29th, 1778.
It was a union of American and French Enlightenment thought.
Both men embodied different but complementary aspects of the era.
In their greeting, they exchanged the traditional handshake for a kiss on the lips.
The gesture moved many in attendance to tears and has since become a frequently referenced moment in Enlightenment history.
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Voltaire also gave one of Franklin’s grandsons a blessing.
He placed his hands on young Benny Bache’s head and pronounced “God and Liberty” in French.
It was a gesture that passed the Enlightenment torch from Old Europe to the New World.
Voltaire is said to have had visible emotion (tears in his eyes).
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Voltaire loved Franklin for his empirical, scientific side of the Enlightenment and having earned European acclaim for his electrical experiments.
He also made a famous declaration: “Behold the man who tamed the lightning!”
Franklin loved Voltaire for his groundbreaking work in the Enlightenment and for being the most famous philosopher in France at the time.
Both men had controversies.
Voltaire faced severe consequences for his criticism of religious orthodoxy and the Catholic Church.
His work “Candide” led to multiple exiles.
Franklin’s electrical experiments were viewed with suspicion by some who saw them as challenging the natural order.
And even though he was respected as a polymath and statesman—his personal life generated scandals.
Especially around his rumored affairs and illegitimate son.
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Both Benjamin Franklin and Voltaire were well-known Masons.
Franklin and Voltaire’s shared Masonic membership aligned perfectly with their Enlightenment ideals.
Freemasonry emphasizes reason, universal brotherhood, and the pursuit of knowledge.
Both Voltaire and Franklin became initiated into the famous Lodge of the Nine Sisters in Paris.
Though the meeting was iconic, historical evidence shows their relationship was much more limited in reality.
Their most significant documented interaction was this single meeting in Paris in 1778.
It’s possible they met again after, but there is no historical evidence to support this claim.
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Both men were united by satire and humor.
Voltaire employed high-minded satire targeting institutions and philosophical concepts in his work “Candide.”
He used wit to challenge religious hypocrisy and blind optimism prevalent in society.
Franklin took a more pragmatic approach to satire.
He focused more on everyday matters.
Through works like “A Witch Trial at Mount Holly” and “Rules by Which a Great Empire May Be Reduced to a Small One,” he used pseudonymous writings to mock superstitions and criticize British colonial policies.
Both men recognized satire’s potential as a vehicle for reform and to debate against the status quo.
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