History
Benjamin Franklin's diplomatic success in France partly built on deliberately spreading romantic rumors about himself
Julian Dorey Daily
#1 American Historian on the UNTAPPED Secrets of the Revolution | H.W. Brands
What was said
"Franklin is in his mid-70s by the time he gets to France, early 70s and mid-70s during the time he's there. And so he's this charming guy and everybody thinks that Franklin has all these love affairs. And so this really appeals to French men who could imagine, well, when I'm 70, I can have the same luck with the ladies. And it appealed to the women of Paris because he is this world famous guy."
Historian HW Brands reveals that Benjamin Franklin deliberately cultivated and spread exaggerated stories about his romantic conquests in Paris as a PR strategy to charm French society and secure crucial financial support for the American Revolution. Franklin understood that his diplomatic success depended on social connections made at parties at 2 AM, not office work at 8 AM—a point his colleague John Adams failed to grasp.
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- Programme
- Julian Dorey Daily
- Episode
- #1 American Historian on the UNTAPPED Secrets of the Revolution | H.W. Brands
- Clip time
- 19:15
- Original source
- Watch the source segment →
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Julian Dorey Daily