Benjamin Franklin Quotes
If we do not hang together, we shall surely hang separately.
Sparks, Jared. The Works of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 1, Hilliard, Gray, and Company, 1840, p. 408.
Discussing foreign policy and coordination with other countries:
“Factions” was the word for Political Parties then. Henry, George Washington and other founding fathers were opposed to political parties, while Madison and others thought they needed to controlled. Jefferson thought parties to be important. So there was no uniform consensus among the Founding Fathers. This has his last public speech before his death.
Spinoza was one of the most feared intellectuals in human history—feared, that is, by the established power structures. Spinoza’s ideas were considered so radical and dangerous that he was the only man in history who was excommunicated by the Catholics, the Jews and the Muslims.
As he signed the Declaration of Independence John Hancock stated "We must all be unanimous; there must be no pulling different ways; we must all hang together." Franklin replied:
Benjamin Franklin FRS FRSA FRSE was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A polymath, he was a leading writer, printer, political philosopher, politician, Freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, humorist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove, among other inventions. He founded many civic organizations, including the Library Company, Philadelphia's first fire department, and the University of Pennsylvania.
