Characters Alexandra Petri's US History Alexandra Petri

Benjamin Franklin: The Prankster Founding Father in Alexandra Petri’s Satirical History

Overview of Franklin’s Depiction

In Alexandra Petri’s US History, Benjamin Franklin emerges not as the wise inventor or diplomat of standard textbooks, but as a mischievous prankster whose playful interference leaves lasting marks on both personal correspondence and national history. Petri reimagines Franklin as a distractible note-taker, an unapologetic meddler in others’ romantic communications, and an eager participant in drawing absurd anthropomorphic animals during the Constitutional Convention. This version of Franklin challenges the reverential historical memory, embodying the book’s theme that historical authority is a performance easily undone by humor.

Plot Role and Key Episodes

Franklin appears across three major episodes:

  • Forged love letter in Chapter 10: While the real John and Abigail Adams attempt romantic correspondence by post, Franklin sends an explicit letter impersonating John. The letter wildly praises Franklin himself, which immediately betrays the forgery. John Adams is mortified and writes frantic letters pleading Abigail not to open it, but she already sees through the trick.
  • Convention distraction in Chapter 11: During the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Franklin takes notes that record observations about musical instruments and a hat-mending errand instead of debates. When Gouverneur Morris draws a man-sized rabbit and then a dog, Franklin demands the dog be drawn as well. The ensuing argument over dog pants distracts delegates, and the Electoral College passes without objection.
  • Currency design in Chapter 61: In a satirical meeting to design all U.S. currency, Franklin is placed on the $100 bill “with a hideous blue stripe” because the committee “just messed up.” Independence Hall, his favorite place, adorns the back.

Motivations and Traits

Franklin’s actions reveal consistent traits:

  • Playful curiosity: His convention notes include “strange humming and buzzing suggests new idea for musical instrument.” This inventor’s impulse colors his entire focus.
  • Mischievous interference: Forging a letter to Abigail shows a lack of serious boundaries—he treats even romantic correspondence as a chance for a joke.
  • Lack of reverence for official process: By demanding dog drawings rather than participating in constitutional debate, he prioritizes amusement over gravity.
  • Subtle awareness of his own legend: The forged letter’s excessive praise of Franklin suggests he enjoys his own reputation.

These are interpreted from his actions; the text never provides interior monologue.

Chronological Arc

Though the book is non-linear, Franklin’s appearances span:

  1. 1778-1779 (Chapter 10): The sexting correspondence with Adams, featuring the forgery.
  2. 1787 (Chapter 11): The Constitutional Convention with the rabbit and dog distraction.
  3. Undated fictional meeting (Chapter 61): The currency committee, probably set later in American history.

This fragmented timeline reinforces the theme that historical figures are pieced together from selective memories.

Relationships

  • John Adams: Franklin’s closest relationship in the book is adversarial. Adams explicitly regrets consulting Franklin for romantic advice. After the forgery, Adams writes “DO NOT OPEN” letters and calls Franklin “not the man to consult in this matter.” Abigail, however, dismisses the forgery, noting the penmanship was unlike John’s and the praise of Franklin too liberal.
  • Gouverneur Morris: Franklin enthusiastically supports Morris’s rabbit drawing and even demands a dog drawing to match. They share a collaborative enjoyment of absurdity.
  • James Madison: Franklin tells the oral historian that Madison’s notes are “broadly accurate,” but his own notes show he was not paying attention—a subtle critique of Madison’s authority.
  • George Washington: Franklin observes Washington’s repeated humble disclaimers of worthiness; his notes record them as fact without commentary.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Decision Consequence
Forging the letter as John Adams John Adams suffers intense shame; the Adams’ sexting experiment ends. Abigail immediately recognizes the forgery, preserving her trust in John.
Encouraging the dog drawing during the Convention The Electoral College provision passes without debate because delegates are distracted. Morris later regrets missing the chance to object.
Maintaining trivial notes instead of recording debates Petri implies that Franklin’s version of history would be unreliable and trivial, contrasting with Madison’s self-serious account.

Franklin’s decisions are never malicious but stem from a careless disregard for serious proceedings—a form of political hypocrisy in the sense that he treats nation-building as a game.

Theme and Symbol Connections

  • Satire of Historical Authority: Franklin’s notes are a joke—a list of household chores and musical ideas. They undermine the reliability of any single account of the Convention. “[Madison] didn’t record that the best day… was when Gouverneur Morris drew an anatomically correct man-rabbit,” Franklin says, showing how official records omit inconvenient truths.
  • Myth-Making and Selective Memory: The Franklin who forged a love letter is omitted from hagiography. Petri forces readers to consider what other details have been erased.
  • Political Hypocrisy: Washington’s repeated “unworthy” speeches and Franklin’s distraction both expose how much of the founding is performance.
  • Gender Roles and Domesticity: Franklin’s intrusion into the Adams’ marriage highlights the boundary between public and private life, and how male Founders failed to respect domestic intimacy.
  • Greed and Exploitation: Less directly, Franklin’s actions at the Convention allowed the slavery-entrenching provisions to pass, linking his distraction to moral failure.

Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Franklin forge the letter to Abigail Adams?
    The book does not state a motive, but based on his character, he likely saw it as a harmless prank. He may have wanted to test the boundaries of the Adams’ marriage or amuse himself. Abigail immediately detects the fraud, showing Franklin underestimated her.

  2. How does Franklin’s distraction affect the Electoral College vote?
    According to Morris’s account, while delegates argued over the dog’s pants, the chair asked for objections to the Electoral College, and “nobody said anything.” The provision passed because everyone was focused on the drawing, not the merits of the voting system.

  3. Does Franklin ever face consequences for his actions?
    Only indirect consequences: John Adams writes him a “stern” letter of reproof, but the text does not show Franklin’s reaction. At the Convention, his distraction contributes to a decision he may not have supported, but he appears unbothered.

  4. What does Franklin’s note-taking reveal about historical record-keeping?
    His notes are trivial and incomplete, contrasting with Madison’s meticulous records. This juxtaposition shows that history depends on who writes it down, and that official notes may omit key moments (like the rabbit drawing). The book uses Franklin to question the completeness of the historical record.

  5. Is Franklin portrayed as a sympathetic character?
    Most interpretations would say yes—he is comic rather than cruel. His pranks cause embarrassment but not lasting harm. He is curious, playful, and ultimately human, which makes him more relatable than the marble statue of legend.

Further Reading