Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) is perhaps one of the United States’ best-known founding fathers and was a prolific writer responsible for the Silence Dogood letters, Poor Richard’s Almanac, and his own autobiography. He was self-taught, spending his youth as a printer’s apprentice while reading and improving his writing skills in the evening. The Enlightenment movement heavily influenced him, and much of his work reflects the reason, practicality, and individualism the style advocates. As a founding father, he believed firmly in the potential for the United States as a democracy. In serving on the Continental Congress, he helped draft the Declaration of Independence, and in 1783, he negotiated the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War (1775-1783).

When Franklin wrote this document, he was aware that it was unlikely that the Second Continental Congress would adopt it. However, the colonies had just entered the Revolutionary War, and there was a need for them to organize under a common banner. Drawing from the New England confederation plan of 1643 and his own Albany Plan of 1754, Franklin saw that uniting would be useful both militarily and politically. Militarily, this would mean that different states could share armies and resources.