Benjamin Franklin Writes to Peter Collinson

On 28 March 1747, Benjamin Franklin wrote to Peter Collinson in London about his studies on electricity, the first of a series of letters that would make him famous

On 28 March 1747, Benjamin Franklin wrote to his friend Peter Collinson in London about his studies on electricity. This letter was the first of a series that would be collected into a book making Franklin famous throughout the Western world, and which contributed to his being sent to France as ambassador during the American War of Independence.

  • Date: 28 March 1747
  • Location: Philadelphia (Pennsylvania)
  • Protagonists: Benjamin Franklin, Peter Collinson (Royal Society, London)
  • Consequence: Publication of Experiments and Observations on Electricity Made at Philadelphia in America

Peter Collinson was a merchant and botanist, also a Fellow of the Royal Society in London. The Society’s mission was to encourage the study and dissemination of scientific knowledge. In the 1740s, Collinson became a supporter of the American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia and the Library Company of Philadelphia, both founded by Benjamin Franklin. In this capacity, Collinson was responsible for purchasing books and equipment for these organisations and shipping them to Philadelphia.

The First Experiments

In 1743, Benjamin Franklin attended a lecture on electricity in Boston given by the Scottish physician Archibald Spencer. Intrigued by the experiments he witnessed, Franklin wrote to Collinson to ask whether he had learned anything about electricity. Collinson replied by sending him an “electrical tube,” a glass tube that could be used to transfer an electrical charge. Franklin undertook a detailed study of electricity and was soon able to perform “tricks” such as making a woman’s hair stand on end, igniting alcohol, and delivering shocks through a kiss.

On 28 March 1747, Franklin wrote the first letter to Collinson mentioning his experiments. In this letter, Franklin said he had become so absorbed by his electrical studies and by the crowds coming to see his experiments that he barely had time for anything else. He also announced that he would write more about his studies in future letters.

Scientific Fame

Over the following years, Franklin wrote a series of letters about his studies. He described his discoveries, including positive and negative charges, and the fact that pointed objects conduct electricity better than blunt ones — the origin of his idea for the lightning rod.

Collinson recognised the revolutionary nature of Franklin’s studies and collected several of them into a book. Experiments and Observations on Electricity Made at Philadelphia in America took Europe by storm and quickly made Franklin a household name, particularly in France.

This fame was one of the reasons Franklin was later sent to France by the Continental Congress during the War of Independence. His celebrity and renown opened the doors of the French government for him to request aid for the young United States in their war against Great Britain.

Henry Williams (SAR)

References