The Articles of Confederation

Franklin likely draws his inspiration for the structure of government found in the Articles of Confederation from the New England confederation in 1643, as well his own Albany Plan of Union, which he wrote in 1754. The Articles were never formally executed, but it proposed the first structure in which all of the British colonies were brought together under one central government. These ideas likewise carried into the Articles of Confederation, which John Dickinson wrote in 1777 and the former colonies ratified in 1781. Franklin firmly believed that a unified system was the colonies’ best bet for survival, especially as the American Revolution was beginning. When these articles were presented before the Congress in 1775, the colonies had not yet declared independence from England, which they would do a year later in 1776.

Benjamin Franklin is considered a follower of Enlightenment thinking, which emphasized free thinking and reason and often utilized a more direct writing style. This mode is clear in the Articles of Confederation, which he presents using clear language, simply putting forth the terms of the agreement he’s proposing. It is a practical system of government, and Franklin addresses many of the concerns of his fellow Continental Congress members, both about independence from Britain and dependence between states.

The key to the document, which readers can see trickle into later drafts of the Articles of Confederation and into the United States Constitution, is its focus on states coming together to share power through a central government. The government Franklin outlines is stronger than the one we see in the Articles of Confederation’s final draft. Knowing that there is skepticism about this structure, Franklin is careful to balance the power of the government with the powers that Congress grants the states. For example, in Article III, he writes that “each Colony shall enjoy and retain as much as it may think fit of its own present Laws, Customs, Rights, Privileges, and peculiar Jurisdictions within its own Limits; and may amend its own Constitution as shall seem best to its own Assembly or Convention” (260-261). Here, Franklin’s rhetoric implies to his audience that entering into this agreement would not strip states of their individual rights, which is a major theme within this document.

Franklin’s articles also offer the possibility of return to good terms with Britain as a way of allaying fears of declaring independence. In the concluding paragraph, he suggests that the Articles of Confederation could simply be a temporary arrangement until the “Terms of Reconciliation proposed in the Petition of the last Congress to the King are agreed to” and England readdresses other injustices (Conclusion, 263). At that time, “the Colonies are to return to their former Connection and Friendship with Britain” (Conclusion, 263). The Continental Congress was split in regard to declaring independence from Britain, and Franklin is seemingly offering a compromise (even though he himself is advocating for independence). If peace between Britain and the colonies is restored, the agreement would expire; if not, it would remain in effect forever—a decision that speaks to Franklin’s diplomacy and a keen understanding of his audience.