Benjamin Franklin Quotes
Outside Independence Hall when the Constitutional Convention of 1787 ended, Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, "A republic, if you can keep it."
McHenry, James. The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, Vol. 3. Edited by Max Farrand, Yale University Press, 1911, p. 85.
The words “extensive empire” imply that Jefferson who doubled the size of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase was thinking of a nation that spanned the continent and was happy with the fact that the Constitution did not obstruct the addition of additional states and territories.
In the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the delegates agreed that the there would be no official transcript and that the debates were to be kept secret:
Describing the concept of the House of Representatives:
Ataturk was one of the few revolutionary leaders who appreciated the importance of maintaining a Republic over time and allowed for the possibility that the revolutionary government might become corrupt. So like Thomas Jefferson, he always told citizens to be ever vigilant. In the case of Turkey, on several occasions fundamentalist religious forces have attempted to regain control of the secular republic and the government and mindful of Ataturk’s warnings the Army and other forces have rallied to keep Turkey independent and secular.
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.
