811To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas-François Dalibard, 31 March 1754 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Je Reçus, Monsieur et très cher ami, le 15. Janvier dernier votre très obligeante lettre du 28. 8bre.1753. et je n’y répondis pas sur le champ, parceque je jugeai à propos d’attendre ce que vous deviéz m’envoyer par le prochain vaisseau que vous me marquiéz devoir partir 8. ou 10. jours après; j’ai toujours attendu jusqu’à présent sans avoir reçu autre...
812From George Washington to Daniel Campbell, 31 March 1754 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Daniel Campbell, 31 Mar. 1754. On 28 June 1754 Campbell wrote to GW from Falmouth: “I was agreeably favour’d with yours of the 31st March last.” Campbell was a Scottish merchant living in Falmouth. In 1753 he served as master of the Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge No. 4 A.F. & A.M. , of which GW was a member.
813[April 1754] (Adams Papers)
Mr. Winthrop began a series of Experimental Phylosophy , and in the 1st place he explained to us the meaning, nature, and excellence of natural phylosophy, which is, (he says) the knowledge of those laws by which all the Bodys, in the universe are restrained, it being evident that not only those great masses of matter the heavenly Bodys, but all the minutest combinations of matter in each of...
814[April 1754] (Adams Papers)
Then, Mr. Winthrop began a Course of Experimental Written in JA ’s experimental hand of 1754–1756, with this fragmentary line canceled and the date heading certainly intended to be. This false beginning of JA ’s notes on Winthrop’s lectures heads p. {7} of the MS and was lined out, presumably at once, because JA supposed that he would need more space than he had left for his (unwritten)...
815April 1st. 1754. (Adams Papers)
Then, Mr. Winthrop began a Course of Experimental Written in JA ’s experimental hand of 1754–1756, with this fragmentary line canceled and the date heading certainly intended to be. This false beginning of JA ’s notes on Winthrop’s lectures heads p. {7} of the MS and was lined out, presumably at once, because JA supposed that he would need more space than he had left for his (unwritten)...
816[Winthrop’s Lectures on Experimental Philosophy.] April 1st. 1754. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Winthrop began a series of Experimental Phylosophy , and in the 1st place he explained to us the meaning, nature, and excellence of natural phylosophy, which is, (he says) the knowledge of those laws by which all the Bodys, in the universe are restrained, it being evident that not only those great masses of matter the heavenly Bodys, but all the minutest combinations of matter in each of...
817To Benjamin Franklin from Cadwallader Colden, 2 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: New-York Historical Society I should have acknowleged your favour of the 1st of January sooner if you had not at the same time told me that you was to be from home for some time after the writing of it and I had my thoughts engaged in a chain of thinking that I was unwilling to interrupt as that season was the only time of the year in which I could hope to pursue it without...
818To Benjamin Franklin from Cadwallader Colden, 2 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: New-York Historical Society Any knowlege I have of the winds and other Changes which happen in the atmosphere is so very defective that it does not deserve the name. Neither have I receiv’d any Satisfaction from the attempts of others on this subject. It deserves then your thoughts as a subject in which you may distinguish your self and be usefull. Your notion of some things conducting...
819April 3d. 1754. (Adams Papers)
The second lecture, which was wholly taken up in explaining the Propertys of the Centers of gravity and motion, which were applyed to the instruments, Cheifly in use in Common life, such as, the lever, pulley, Ballance axis in peritrocheo, &c. But the Ballance was principally insisted on. The reason of it was fully explained and the method of weighing, viz the distances of the Bodys from the...
820April 5th. 1754. (Adams Papers)
The theory of the Ballance, scales, steel-yard &c. and all and the 3 species of lever’s continued to which (viz) the lever he referred allmost all the instruments in life, and universally. To make a aequilibrium, the product of the quantity of matter in the weight multiplyed into its distance from the Center of motion, must be equal to the quantity of matter in the power, multiplyed into it’s...
821April 6th. 1754. (Adams Papers)
The phaenomina of The nature of the Pulley, axis in peritrochaeo, and inclined Plane explained, which all depend on the laws before laid down (viz) that the quantity of matter in the weight bears the same proportion to the quantity of matter in the power, as the distance of the power from the Center of motion, to the distance of the weight from said Center.
822April 8th. 1754. (Adams Papers)
The Theory of simple machines and in particular of the inclined plane, of the wedge and screw, and other machines compounded of these simple ones, finish’d.
823April 9 1754. (Adams Papers)
Sir Isaac Newtons three laws of nature proved and illustrated, together with the application of them to the planets, which are kept in their orbits by two forces acting upon them, viz that of gravity and that which is call’d their Centrifugal force whereby it they strives to recede from the Center of their orbits, and fly off therefrom in tangents.
824April 10, 1754. (Adams Papers)
The theory of Centrifugal forces, continued; and aplyed to the Cases of the planets; and from this Centrifugal force, Mr. Winthrop confuted the hypothesis of vortices, from this also arises the spheroidal form of the earth.
825April 11 1754. (Adams Papers)
Some thing’s observed concerning gravity, which encreases as you approach the Center of the earth in a reciprocal proportion of the squares of the distances, and under this head were introduced pendula and we saw that all pendula of equall length oscilated in equal time whether the arches they described were greater or less. We were also inform’d that bodys falling in Chords of a Circle will...
826Pennsylvania Assembly: Reply to the Governor, 12 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1753–1754 (Philadelphia, 1754), p. 50. Although the French had begun their advance into the upper Ohio Valley and Governor Hamilton had urged the Assembly to take steps towards defending the western frontier, that Quaker-controlled body had adjourned, March 9, for eight weeks without doing anything effective (see above, p. 259...
827From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Johnson, 15 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Columbia University Library When I return’d from Maryland in February last, I found your Favour of Jany. 1. but having mislaid it soon after, I defer’d answering ’till I should find it again, which I have now done. I think you ought not to be, as you say you are, vexed at your self that you offered your Noetica to be printed; for tho’ the Demand for it in this part of the World has not...
828From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 18 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: New-York Historical Society Since September last, having been abroad on two long Journeys, and otherwise much engag’d, I have made but few Observations on the positive and negative State of Electricity in the Clouds. But Mr. Kinnersley kept his Rod and Bells in good Order, and has made many. Once this Winter the Bells rang a long time during a fall of Snow, tho’ no Thunder was heard nor...
829From Benjamin Franklin to William Smith, 18 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I have had but one Line from you since your Arrival in England, which was a short one, via Boston, dated October 18. acquainting me you had wrote largely by Davis. Davis was lost, and with him your Letters, to my great Disappointment. Mesnard and Gibbon are since arriv’d here, and I hear nothing from you; which I should tell you chagrins me not a...
830From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 18 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Pierpont Morgan Library; also duplicate: New York Public Library By Capt. Gibbon I received a Copy of yours per the Myrtylla, but she is not yet arrived. I am glad to hear the Bills I sent you for £100 Sterling are accepted, and that the Goods were to be shipt soon for Connecticut. Bryant is arrived at New York, who left London the Middle of March; I have not heard whether he has brought...
831From George Washington to Thomas Cresap, 18 April 1754 (Washington Papers)
The difficulty of getting Waggons has almost been insurmountable, we have found so much inconvenience attending it here in these roads that I am determined to carry all our provisions &c. out on horse back and should be glad if Capt. Trent with your Assistance would procure as many horses as possible against we arrive at Wills Creek that as little stoppage as possible may be made there. I have...
832From Benjamin Franklin to William Watson, 19 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
Photostat of copy: American Philosophical Society I have lately perused the 47th Vol. of the Transactions, wherein I find your very candid and favourable Account of my Electrical papers, for which be pleased to accept my grateful Acknowledgments. My Friend Mr. Collinson once gave me reason to hope for the pleasure and advantage of a Correspondence with you, by telling me you intended me a...
833From George Washington to James Hamilton, 24 April 1754 (Washington Papers)
It is with the greatest concern I acquaint you that Mr Ward Ensign in Captn Trents Company was compelld to surrender his small Fort in the Forks of Monongehele to the French on the 17th Instant: Who fell down from Venango with a Fleet of 360 Batoes and Canoes with upwards of one thousand Men and eighteen pieces of Artillery—which they planted against the Fort, drew up their Men and sent the...
834From George Washington to Horatio Sharpe, 24 April 1754 (Washington Papers)
It is with the greatest concern I acquaint you, that Mr. Ward, ensign in captain Trent’s company, was obliged to surrender his small fortress in the Forks of Monongehela, at the summons of captain Contrecoeur, commander of the French forces, who fell down from Venango with a fleet of 360 canoes and battoes, conveying upwards of one thousand men, eighteen pieces of artillery, and large stores...
835From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, 25 April 1754 (Washington Papers)
Captain Trents Ensign Mr Ward this Day arrived from the Forks of Monongehele, and brings the disagreeable account that the Fort on the Seventeenth Instant was surrender’d at the summons of Captain Contrecour to a Body of French consisting of upwards of one Thousand Men, who came from Vena[n]go with Eighteen pieces of Cannon, Sixty Battoes, and three Hundred Canoes: they gave him liberty to...
836To Benjamin Franklin from Jonathan Belcher, 26 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy: Massachusetts Historical Society As you are not only a lover of Learning but without a Compliment an Ornoment to it in the Age wherein you live you will forgive the freedom I take in Recommending to your Favour and Friendship Mr. John and Samuel Winthrop two worthy young Gentlemen making a Journey this Way partly for their Health as also to see this Country. The elder is...
837From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 28 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New York Public Library; also duplicate: Yale University Library The above is a Copy of mine per Reeve. Two Ships are since arrived in New York, but I hear nothing yet of the Things expected, tho’ possibly they may be come. I enclose Mrs. Steevens second Bill for £20 Sterling. Please to send the following Books, viz. 2 Familiar Letters by Charles Halifax 12mo Baldwin 2 Nelson on the...
838From Benjamin Franklin to Richard Peters, [30 April 1754?] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania It was late in the Evening when I came home last Night, or I should have sent you Mr. Smith’s Letters, concerning which I shall be glad to talk with you when you have a little Leisure. If you are at liberty to dine where you please to day, I shall be glad of your Company; my Dame being from home, and I quite Master of the House. Your humble Servant...
839To George Washington from Robert Dinwiddie, 4 May 1754 (Washington Papers)
This Day I recd Yr Advices by Mr Ward, which give me great Concern to experience that my Fears of the French geting Possessn before us of the Fork of Monongehela were too prognistic —The March of our Forces has been delay’d by unfortunate Circumstances. The Independt Compa. from So. Car. arriv’d two Day ago, is compleat 100 Men besides Officers, & will reembark for Alexa. next Week, thence...
840To Benjamin Franklin from William Clarke, 6 May 1754 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society I received your Favours, by the two last Posts; for both of which I am very much obliged to you; the former I should have acknowledged, by the return of the Post; but was obliged to be out of Town. I now return you the Papers, with my hearty thanks for the trouble you have taken. I fully agree to your observation in your last, that although several of the...