141Statement of Editorial Policy, 24 July 1740 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , July 24, 1740. George Whitefield’s doctrine and eloquence had sensational effects throughout the colonies. One of those who resisted him, strongly disapproving his excessive religious emotionalism, was Ebenezer Kinnersley, a Baptist lay preacher in Philadelphia. In a sermon on July 6, 1740, Kinnersley expressed abhorrence of “Enthusiastick Ravings ... that...
142Advertisement of the General Magazine, 13 November 1740 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , November 13, 1740. The American Weekly Mercury , November 6, 1740, printed a long, ambitious “Plan of an Intended Magazine,” to be called The American Magazine, or A Monthly View of The Political State of the British Colonies . John Webbe, who was to be the editor, probably composed it, though it was signed by Andrew Bradford. Each issue would contain four...
143The Postmaster and the Mercury, 11 December 1740 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , December 11, 1740. The Publick has been entertain’d for these three Weeks past, with angry Papers, written expressly against me, and publish’d in the Mercury . The two first I utterly neglected, as believing that both the Facts therein stated, and the extraordinary Reasonings upon them, might be safely enough left to themselves, without any Animadversion;...
144Poor Richard, 1741 (Franklin Papers)
Poor Richard, 1741. An Almanack For the Year of Christ 1741 ,... By Richard Saunders, Philom. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by B. Franklin, at the New Printing-Office near the Market. (Yale University Library) This Year there will be but two Eclipses, and those will be of the Sun, the first will happen June the Second Day: The other, November the 27th: Neither of which will be seen in these...
145Introduction to The New-Year’s Gift, 1741 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The New-Year’s Gift; or a Pocket Almanack, For the Year 1741 . Philadelphia Printed and Sold by B. Franklin. (Yale University Library) Franklin printed three almanacs for 1741 in addition to Poor Richard’s and John Jerman’s. One was a single sheet, another was A Pocket Almanack ... Fitted to the Use of Pennsylvania, and the neighbouring Provinces , and the third was The New-Year’s...
146Extracts from the Gazette, 1741 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , January 1 to December 29, 1741. Our River has been fast some time, And we hear from Lewes, that ’tis all Ice towards the Sea as far as Eye can reach. Tuesday and Wednesday last are thought to have been the coldest Days we have had these many Years. [January 8] Great Quantities of English Half-pence being Imported here, since the falling of our Exchange, to...
147Advertisement in the General Magazine, [16 February 1741] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The General Magazine, and Historical Chronicle, for all the British Plantations in America , I (January 1741), inside cover. (Yale University Library) After the first announcements in November, Franklin and Bradford both hurried to get their magazines into print, each promising in his paper of February 5 that his would be published “next Week.” As it fell out, Bradford’s American...
148An Account of the Export of Provisions from Philadelphia, [16 February 1741] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The General Magazine, and Historical Chronicle, for all the British Plantations in America , I (January 1741), 75. (Yale University Library) Eighteenth-century periodicals contained almost nothing original, and the General Magazine was no exception. The printer extracted news from American and English papers, essays from London journals, and laws, proclamations, treaties, debates,...
149Teague’s Advertisement, 26 February 1741 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , February 26, 1741; also draft: American Philosophical Society. Bradford promised in the Mercury , February 19, that each number of his American Magazine would “contain something more than four Sheets, or an Equivalent to four of such Paper, as the American Mercury is printed on; so that there will be not less than fifty two Sheets published in one Year,...
150A Short Account of the Library, [13 July 1741] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in A Catalogue of Books belonging to the Library Company of Philadelphia . Philadelphia: Printed by B. Franklin, 1741. (Library Company of Philadelphia) The Directors of the Library Company in 1741 instructed Franklin to print a catalogue of their collection. On July 13 he read them “a Paper containing a Brief Account of the Library, which he said he wrote to fill up a Blank that...