Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790

Scope and Contents From the Collection:

The collection contains 26 maps of the New World, dating 1541-1778, which illustrate the progression of European geographic knowledge about Virginia and North America from the 16th through the 18th centuries

Scope and Contents

D.S. 1 page. Benjamin Franklin's account with artist Jean Antoine Houdon for expenses and work done. Includes an order with Monsieur Jefferson.

Scope and Contents

Benjamin Franklin writes to General Charles Lee in order to introduce Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense. Autograph letter, signed. 2 pages.

Description One of the preferred routes that captains and navigators sailing from America to England learned to use was the Gulf Stream, a strong, warm current that flows north along the Atlantic coast and then east toward Europe. Initially charted by Benjamin Franklin in 1768, this discovery helped ships minimize travel time across the ocean, speeding up the transatlantic voyage for travelers, merchants, and goods. Franklin purchased this 1785 chart, a French adaptation of his original findings, when...