Analysis of Ben Franklins Satirical Writing - 615 Words

Jpz777 2/17/2012 Order # 2057910 After more than two centuries of mythologizing and lionizing the achievements of Americas revolutionary heroes, it is often suggested today that this nations forefathers inspired the uprising through sheer force of will, simply seizing on the simmering frustrations of a populace which held a collective desire for independence. While this certainly would have been convenient, the truth is that the American colonies prior to 1776 were a cauldron of conflicting views regarding British patronage and loyalty to the crown. Rather than a spontaneous outburst of shared dissatisfaction with royal rule, the day that independence was finally declared was preceded by another fierce fight: the battle to influence public opinion. Just as George Washington would later prove his mettle as Americas backbone during wartime, Benjamin Franklin positioned himself as the emerging nations conscience, wielding masterfully written pieces of satirical weaponry as he fought to convince commoners and aristocrat s alike of the essential need for revolution. Among Franklins most influential contributions to the debate over independence were his Edict by the King of Prussia (1773) and The Sale of the Hessians (1776), two devastating examples of satires ability to speak truth to power which enabled ordinary colonists to comprehend finally the state of bondage they toiled through. Only by comparing the fictional demands made by Franklins Prussian king to the