Benjamin Franklin looms so large as a global figure in the Enlightenment that his status as a Founding Father is but one of the many roles through which he helped change the course of history. If only for his long list of discoveries and inventions, this self-taught scientist would be an Edison-like legend, but his talents and indefatigable energy took him into the highest levels of civic administration and statesmanship.

Franklin’s professional life began in printing and publishing, through which he entered the public discourse and ultimately evolved into one of the greatest voices for independence. He was a formidable diplomat who played a central role in the repeal of the Stamp Act and securing France’s alliance in America’s war with the British. A signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, he was also founder of the American Philosophical Society and the college that would become University of Pennsylvania. It is in part his unique brand of versatility that has inspired many to view him as the exemplar of the American character.

One of the great documentary editions in historical scholarship, The Papers of Benjamin Franklin collects over 30,000 letters and other documents in over 40 volumes. This digital edition presents this content in a fully searchable online archive that is interoperable with other titles in Rotunda’s American Founding Era collection.