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.