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"Dr. Franklin had a great Genius, original, sagacious, and inventive, capable of discoveries in philosophy no less than in politics. He had a vast Imagination, equal to the conception of any theological subject, and he had an eloquence that could persuade at all times, and by a kind of fascination. His mind was always replenished with wit and humor, which gave an air of gayety, sprightliness, and drollery to all his actions and deportment."
—John Adams
Two of the most influential Founding Fathers, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, played indispensable roles in the American Revolution, but in many ways, they were a study in contrasts…
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Benjamin Franklin and John Adams had mutual intellectual respect and shared contributions to American independence—maintaining a complex relationship marked by personality clashes—Adams viewed Franklin as brilliant but morally dubious…Franklin likely saw Adams as provincial and overeager.
Their dynamic reflected as: opposing forces that could unite in common cause without achieving genuine closeness.
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Despite his initial reluctance to join the revolutionary cause, John Adams became an energetic delegate to the Continental Congress.
Benjamin Franklin eventually convinced Adams to represent his home colony of Massachusetts.
However, he grew frustrated.
He didn’t like the slow progress and self-interested behavior of some members, including Franklin.
His idealistic disappointment with political realities, while causing him personal distress, was rooted in the same passionate principles that made him a vital force in the push for independence.
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During a diplomatic mission in 1776, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were forced to share a small room at a New Jersey tavern.
It was a humorous historical sidenote where they famously argued over whether to keep the window open—Adams fearing illness from the cold air while Franklin insisted on ventilation.
Their petty dispute over the window showed a prudish Adams clashing with the scientifically-minded Franklin.
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Benjamin Franklin’s diplomatic finesse and popularity at the French court proved crucial in securing military aid that helped win the Revolutionary War.
Franklin earned the reluctant but genuine admiration from the more austere John Adams who acknowledged Franklin was more universally beloved in Europe—comparing him to intellectual giants like Newton and Voltaire.
Adams eventually recognized Franklin’s success in obtaining French support, including troops and supplies, which led to victory in Yorktown.
He saw Franklin as indispensable to American independence.
In the wake of American independence, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were tasked with securing European diplomatic recognition for the new nation—The United State of America.
However, they were in disagreement due to their contrasting personalities—Franklin’s genteel diplomacy versus Adams’ blunt Puritanism—which led to a strained partnership that undermined their effectiveness.
Their antagonistic relationship was based on personal and philosophical differences that hampered efforts to present a united diplomatic front.
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A suspicious John Adams criticized Benjamin Franklin’s embrace of French culture and society during their diplomatic service.
Adams viewed Franklin’s enthusiasm for European refinement and close relationships with French elites as a threat toAmerican interests and moral character.
They both had contrasting views about early American society.
Franklin was more open to cosmopolitan openness to European influence.
On the other hand, Adams believed in more insular, traditional values.
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