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Primary sourceLetter1789-1790 (published 1905)

The Writings of Benjamin Franklin, Volume 26

Benjamin Franklin (edited by Albert Henry Smyth) · 1789-1790 (published 1905)

A scholarly collection of Franklin's letters and writings on foreign relations and government, published in 1905.

This volume preserves Franklin's own letters on foreign relations and government near the end of his life.

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About this source

What it is

This volume is part of a multi-volume edition of Benjamin Franklin's writings, collected and edited with a biography by Albert Henry Smyth and published in 1905. It focuses on Franklin's letters from 1789-1790 concerning government and foreign relations.

Why it matters

This edition gathered many newly discovered letters from private collections, giving historians a fuller picture of Franklin's diplomatic and political activities near the end of his life. It shows Franklin's ongoing role in shaping the new United States.

Look closer

  • Why would an editor search private collections for Franklin's letters more than a century after his death?
  • What might the focus on foreign relations suggest about Franklin's role in government?
  • How could gathering letters from many sources change our understanding of a historical figure?

This letter 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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