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Secondary sourceBook1793

The Private Life of the Late Benjamin Franklin

1793

An early biography of Franklin published shortly after his death in 1793, mixing a supposed autobiography with anecdotes from French contemporaries.

An early biography published right after Franklin's death, shaping his public memory with anecdotes from his admirers.

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The Private Life of the Late Benjamin FranklinPDF · 340 pages
The Private Life of the Late Benjamin Franklin, 1793. Scanned book, Internet Archive.

About this source

What it is

This is a printed book from 1793 titled The Private Life of the Late Benjamin Franklin, LL.D., claiming to be translated from French and including an account of his public life plus anecdotes by figures such as Brissot, Condorcet, La Rochefoucauld, and Le Roy, along with a eulogy by Fauchet. It was printed in London soon after Franklin's death.

Why it matters

It shows how Franklin was remembered and mythologized right after he died, especially by French admirers who saw him as a hero of liberty. It reveals as much about how Europeans viewed Franklin as it does about Franklin himself.

Look closer

  • Why might French writers have been so eager to celebrate Franklin's life?
  • What does the title page's mix of titles and Latin motto tell you about Franklin's reputation?
  • How might a biography written just after someone's death differ from one written later?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Benjamin Franklin on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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