Having assembled together at this place about the latter end of August we proceeded in obedience to the commands of Congress to notify our appointment and its objects to such Powers as we thought it adviseable at that time to address. We wrote a circular letter in the form N o. 1. to the Ambassadors or other Ministers residing here from the courts of Saxony; the two Sicilies, Sardinia, Venice,...
302Notes on the Journey from Boston to Philadelphia in 1723, [c. 29 November 1783] (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society This list of days, numbers, and abbreviated words was scrawled on the verso of Ferdinand Grand’s letter of November 29. They show Franklin reconstructing his flight from Boston at the age of seventeen, which he had described in Part I of his autobiography, written in 1771. He did not have that text with him in France, but in December, 1782, he had received a...
303The American Commissioners to the Baron von Thulemeier, 9 September 1784 (Adams Papers)
The United States of America in Congress Assembled judging that an intercourse between the Subjects of His Prussian Majesty and the Citizens of the said States founded on the principles of equality reciprocity and friendship, may be of mutual advantage to both nations, on the twelfth day of May last, issued their Commission under the Seal of the said States to the Subscribers as their...
304Franklin and Chaumont: Agreement on Accounts and Receipt, [28 May 1784] (Franklin Papers)
(I) ADS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania; press copy of ADS : American Philosophical Society; D (draft): American Philosophical Society; copy: the marquis de Bausset, Ivry-sur-Seine (1961); (II) press copies of two DS : American Philosophical Society The “Experiment” that Franklin proposed to his landlord on May 2 succeeded. Chaumont finally accepted the judgment that their arbitrator,...
305The American Commissioners to the Baron von Thulemeier, 21 January 1785 (Adams Papers)
We have received the letter you did us the honour to write us on the 10 th day of December last. We supposed that the principles contained in the project of a Treaty, which we had the honour to transmit you, were a virtual answer to the requisition in the last lines of your letter of the eighteenth of October. By the second & third Articles, the citizens & subjects of each power may frequent...
306Recipe for Making Bread of Corn Flour Mixed with Wheat Flour, [c. 5 February 1784] (Franklin Papers)
D : American Philosophical Society Pour faire du Pain avec la Farine de Maïs, mêlée avec la Farine de Blé. La Farine de Maïs demande plus de tems pour bien cuire, que la Farine de Blé; C’est pourquoi si on les mêle à froid, et qu’on les fasse fermenter et cuire ensemble, la Partie de Blé sera suffisamment cuite, lorsque la Partie de Maïs sera encore crue. Pour parer à cet Inconvenient, Nous...
307The American Peace Commissioners to David Hartley, 7 September 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Copies: Massachussetts Historical Society, Library of Congress We have the honour of transmitting herewith enclosed an Extract of a Resolution of Congress of the 1. May last, which we have Just recd. You will perceive from it that we may daily expect a Commission in due Form, for the Purposes mentioned in it, and we assure you of our Readiness to enter upon the Business, whenever you may think...
We received the Letter your Excellency did us the honour of writing to us the 8 th Ult o. together with the copy of your full powers to treat with us. M r Adams had as you suppose, preserved a copy of the project of a Treaty that had been concerted between your Excellency & him; but having by instruction from the Congress our Sovereign certain new articles to propose in all our Treaties with...
309Franklin and John Jay to John Adams, 28 February 1784 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society We had the honor of receiving your Favour of the 20th. Inst, and are persuaded that the Communication of the Friendly Disposition of his Prussian Majesty made to you by the Baron de Thuilemeyer will give great Pleasure to Congress. The Respect with which the Reputation of that great Prince has impress’d the United States, early induced them to consider his...
310The American Commissioners to the Duke of Dorset, 9 December 1784 (Adams Papers)
We have received the Letter which your grace did us the honour of writing us on the 24 th. day of Last month, and we received with much Satisfaction the assurances on the part of his Britannic Majesty’s Ministers of their readiness to take into consideration any proposals coming from the United States of america that Can tend to the establishing a System of mutual & permanent advantage, to the...
311Certification of Bills, [8 August 1784] (Franklin Papers)
Press copy of DS and copy: College of William and Mary Library I do hereby Certify whom it may concern, that the following Certificates of Money, due from the Treasury of the United States of America, to the following Officers, have been by them lodged in my Hands, Viz:— Dollars To Major Genl DuPortail, { One dated 24 Novr. 1781. for 5,255: One dated 4 Novr 1783. for 9960: One dated 4 Novr....
312The American Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 28 March 1785 (Adams Papers)
We have the honour to enclose an extract of a letter from the Commissioners of the United States of America to Your Excellency dated Aug st. 28 th. 1778. Copy of Your Excellency’s ans r dated 27. Sept r. 1778. & Copy of M. de Sartine’s letter to Your Excellency of the 21 st of Sept r. 1778 all relative to a proposed negotiation with the States of Barbary. Not having any particular authority or...
313Franklin: Certificate for Cripps & May, 31 December 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Archives Départementales de la Gironde J’ai eu Connoissance de la Lettre de Mrs. Cripps et May dont il Est fait mention, négocians de Charlestown. Je Crois qu’elle Contient Vérité, et Je ne puis qu’espérer que Le placet du Capitaine Conte, Sera favorablement accüeilli. A South Carolina mercantile firm that owned and outfitted ships, and traded with firms in Bordeaux: XXV , 428; XXIX ,...
314Loose Thoughts on a Universal Fluid, [25 June 1784] (Franklin Papers)
AD (draft): Library of Congress; copies: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, American Philosophical Society (two); copies of French translation: Library of Congress (two), Bibliothèque de l’Institut de France In this series of speculations, Franklin tried to combine into one theory his long-held beliefs about light, heat, and fire. The concept he used to link these phenomena—the subtle...
315The American Commissioners to the Conde de Aranda, 28 October 1784 (Adams Papers)
We have received the Letter you did us the honour to write us on the 27 th day of Sept r last, and we thank you for your care in transmitting to your Court, the information of our appointment to treat with it. You desire to be informed if one or more of us can repair to Madrid for the purpose of conducting & concluding the negotiation, because that it is the system of your Court in matters...
316Report of the Royal Commission to Investigate Animal Magnetism: Résumé with Extracts, [11 August 1784] (Franklin Papers)
Rapport des commissaires chargés par le Roi, de l’examen du magnétisme animal (Paris, 1784) The commissioners of the Faculté de médecine and the Académie des sciences—with the exception of Franklin—met in Paris on Wednesday, August 11, to sign the report of their four-month investigation. Franklin, unable to travel, had signed in advance, having received the pristine manuscript in a locked box...