Lesson
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Founding Principles
Civic Virtue, Liberty, Representative / Republican Government
Learning objectives
Students will:
- appreciate Franklin’s contributions to his community and country
- understand the purpose of the Albany Congress
- analyze the basic components of the Albany Plan
- understand Franklin’s views on the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution
- explain Franklin’s role in the Constitutional Convention
- explain Franklin’s efforts to oppose slavery
Materials
Student Handouts
- Handout A—Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
- Handout B—Vocabulary and Context Questions
- Handout C—In His Own Words: Benjamin Franklin and the Albany Plan of Union
Additional Teacher Resource
Lesson Components
Although his voice was weak, it could be clearly heard throughout Convention Hall in Philadelphia. The delegates had temporarily ceased their bickering as Benjamin Franklin, at eighty-one years the oldest member of the group, read one of his proposals. With the exception of George Washington, Franklin was probably the most esteemed member of the remarkable group of statesmen who filled Convention Hall that hot summer of 1787. Franklin had repeatedly called for harmony in the proceedings. This newest proposal, like his previous ones, sought to forge a compromise among the delegates.
Lesson plan
Standards
Advanced Placement
- CCE
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Related materials
Franklin’s considerable work in the areas of journalism, science, and invention often obscure his many contributions to the creation of the Constitution and protection of American freedoms.