[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Mrs. Deborah Franklin had to boldly fling herself into her common law husband's rancorous 1765 political battles with the colonial proprietors of Pennsylvania (the True and Absolute Proprietaries) and with many others. He wanted the Proprietaries to pay their taxes even though their were almost feudal landholders. Much of this conflict was because of Ben Franklin's pragmatic approach to the Stamp Act which did not go over very well in Philadelphians nor with the Penns. Things got so heated in Philly that a group of twenty of Franklin's supporters (going as the White Oak Boys) had to come to guard his new home while he was in London. His wife Deborah guarded the upstairs from the mob, while the White Oak Boys took the downstairs. Stamp Act 1765 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 174 Questions about the Stamp Act and the Colonies presented to Ben Franklin on February 13, 1766 by the Parliament in London showed that Franklin could outflank his enemies both in England and the American Colonies. It also proved that his love of the Colonies was no façade as had been pitched by many of his enemies. As soon as the answers by Franklin to these 174 Questions reached his neighbors in Philadelphia the mob hatred of some soon abated. A barge christened The Franklin saluted him and free drinks were given in the colonies to men who came in with news of Franklin's triumphs as the Stamp Act --a tax on the colonies with no representation in Parliament when enacted-- was repealed. I. His Examination Before the House of Commons by Benjamin Franklin. America: I. (1761-1837). Vol. VIII. Bryan, William Jennings, ed. 1906. The World's Famous Orations Of course, this would not solve the problem of money needed by Parliament but did prove the adage that you cannot get blood from a turnip. American Revolution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia