Many books by and about Franklin rightly celebrate his scientific, military, civic, political and diplomatic achievements. America might not even be a nation if he hadn't been such a virtuoso performer of everything he attempted. But he did stage-manage this public reputation, and largely concealed his private life. Lots of ladies adored him, maybe actively. He rose from poverty to vigorous retirement at age 42, only to outrun his pension at age 60, but still dying as one of the two or three richest men in Pennsylvania. He was perfectly charming, but made lifelong enemies in high places, and didn't back off an inch. George Washington gave us a nation, with his slogan of Honesty is the Best Policy. But Franklin, in his autobiography written for his Tory son, shared with us his witty advice about how to be successful in spite of being American. Between the two, they created the idealized American leader.

• Federalism Slowly Conquers the States Thirteen sovereign colonies voluntarily combined their power for the common good. But for two hundred years, the new federal government kept taking more power for itself.
• ...Authorship of the Constitution There were seventy invited delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Fifty-five attended the sessions, and thirty-nine signed it. We believe the main contributions were made by seven or eight men. But you can never tell, for certain.
• ...Ratification, Bill of Rights and Other Amendments The 1787 Constitution lacked a Bill of Rights. Few except Madison himself were opposed to adding one, but many other delegates would have failed election without promising it. Negotiations at the Convention had proved so excitingly innovative that time ran out before the Convention had to adjourn with only a promise of a Bill of Rights, first thing.
• Philadelphia's River Region A concentration of articles around the rivers and wetland in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• City of Rivers and Rivulets Philadelphia has always been defined by the waters that surround it.
• Albany Conference 1754 New topic 2014-02-03 02:18:03 description
• Benjamin Franklin A collection of Benjamin Franklin tidbits that relate Philadelphia's revolutionary prelate to his moving around the city, the colonies, and the world.
• Philadelphia People New topic 2017-02-06 20:33:59 description
• Pre-Revolutionary Philadelphia .
• Quakers: William Penn Although Ben Franklin gets more ink lately, William Penn deserves at least equal rank among the most remarkable men who ever lived.
• Philadelphia Medicine The first hospital, the first medical school, the first medical society, and abundant Civil War casualties, all combined to establish the most important medical center in the country. It's still the second largest industry in the city.
• Confederation Congress, 1781-1789 New topic 2012-08-06 12:22:08 description
• Causes of the American Revolution Britain and its colonies had outgrown Eighteenth Century techniques of governance. Unfortunately, both England and America lacked the sophistication to make drastic changes smoothly.