Adams Papers

To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 18 May 1787

From Benjamin Franklin

Philada. May 18. 1787.

Sir,

I received by Dr White the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me the 27th of January, together with two Copies of your Defence of the American Constitutions, one for myself for which I beg you would accept my Thanks, the other for the Philosophical Society, whose Secretary will of course officially acknowledge the Obligation.1 That Work is in such Request here, that it is already put to Press, and a numerous Edition will speedily be abroad.2

My Son Beach and my Grandson3 are much flatter’d by your Remembrance of them, & join in presenting their Respects. Be pleased to offer mine to Mrs. Adams and your amiable Daughter. With great Esteem, I have the honour to be, / Sir, / Your most obedient / & most humble Servant

B. Franklin

I shall write soon to Mr Dilly. My Compts. to Col. Smith4

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency / John Adams Esqr.”

1. See vol. 18:563. On 18 May the society, with Franklin presiding, acknowledged having received a copy of JA’s Defence of the Const. description begins John Adams, A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America, London, 1787–1788; repr. New York, 1971; 3 vols. description ends (Early Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge, Compiled by One of the Secretaries, from the Manuscript Minutes of Its Meetings from 1744 to 1838, Phila., 1884, p. 147, 151).

2. A Philadelphia edition of the Defence was printed by Hall & Sellers. Bound books were sold for seven shillings and copies “in blue covers” cost six (Pennsylvania Gazette, 30 May).

3. Benjamin Franklin Bache and William Temple Franklin (vol. 18:563).

4. The postscript was written vertically in the left margin.

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    Adams Papers
    Title
    To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 18 May 1787
    Author
    Franklin, Benjamin
    Recipient
    Adams, John
    Date
    18 May 1787

    Reference

    Cite as
    “To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 18 May 1787,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-19-02-0054. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 19, February 1787–May 1789, ed. Sara Georgini, Sara Martin, R. M. Barlow, Amanda M. Norton, Neal E. Millikan, and Hobson Woodward. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2016, pp. 74–75.]

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