Ben Franklin on Race

8/13/2019 Ben Franklin on Race

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BENJAMIN FRANKLINS

STANCE onRACE in1751:Clifton A. Emahiser s Non-Un iversa l Teaching Ministries

1012 N. Vine Street !ostoria "hio ##$%0

emahiser.christogenea.org

&lease !eel !ree To Co'( )*t Not To E+it

Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries,

etc.as t('eset ,( him from: .+itet.com/franlin/o,servations.html [ omitted]

1. Ta,les of the &ro'ortion of Marriages to )irths of eaths to )irths of

Marriages to the N*m,ers of nha,itants etc. form+ on ",servations ma+e *'on the

)ills of Mortalit( Christnings etc. of 'o'*lo*s Cities ill not s*it Co*ntries3 nor ill

Ta,les form+ on ",servations ma+e on f*ll settle+ ol+ Co*ntries as E*ro'e s*it neCo*ntries as America.

2.!or &eo'le increase in &ro'ortion to the N*m,er of Marriages an+ that is

greater in &ro'ortion to the Ease an+ Convenience of s*''orting a !amil(. 4hen

!amilies can ,e easil( s*''orte+ more &ersons marr( an+ earlier in 5ife.

3.n Cities here all Tra+es "cc*'ations an+ "ffices are man( +ela( marr(ing

till the( can see ho to ,ear the Charges of a !amil(3 hich Charges are greater in

Cities as 5**r( s more common6 man( [stay] single +*ring 5ife an+ contin*e

Servants to !amilies 7o*rne(men to Tra+es hence Cities +o not ,( nat*ral 8eneration

s*''l( themselves ith nha,itants3 the eaths are more than the )irths.

4.n Co*ntries f*ll settle+ the Case m*st ,e nearl( the same3 all 5an+s ,eing

occ*'ie+ an+ im'rove+ to the 9eighth3 those ho cannot get 5an+ m*st 5a,o*r forothers that have it3 hen 5a,o*rers are 'lent( their 4ages 4ill ,e lo3 ,( lo 4ages

a !amil( is s*''orte+ ith iffic*lt(3 this iffic*lt( +eters man( from Marriage ho

therefore long contin*e Servants an+ single. : "nl( as the Cities tae S*''lies of

&eo'le from the Co*ntr( an+ there,( mae a little more ;oom in the Co*ntr(3 Marriage

is a little more inco*rag+ there an+ the )irths ecee+ the eaths.

5.E*ro'e is generall( f*ll settle+ ith 9*s,an+men Man*fact*rers etc. an+

therefore cannot no m*ch increase in &eo'le6 America is cheifl( occ*'ie+ ,( n+ians

ho s*,sist mostl( ,( 9*nting. )*t as the 9*nter of all Men rethe 9*s,an+man s*,sisting on

m*ch less the 8ar+ner on still less an+ the Man*fact*rer re


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afrai+ to marr(3 for if the( even loo far eno*gh forar+ to consi+er ho their Chil+ren

hen gron *' are to ,e 'rovi+e+ for the( see that more 5an+ is to ,e ha+ at ;ates

e,( ;eason of the American eman+s?

sho*l+ rise too high in &rice !oreigners ho can sell chea'er ill +rive her Merchants

o*t of !oreign Marets3 !oreign Man*fact*res ill there,( ,e enco*rage+ an+increase+ an+ conse


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are contin*all( leaving their Master >often in the mi+st of his )*siness? an+ setting *'

for themselves. . $.

13.As the ncrease of &eo'le +e'en+s on the Enco*ragement of Marriages the

folloing Things m*st +iminish a Nation viF. 1.- The ,eing con


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15.As to &rivileges grante+ to the marrie+ >s*ch as the 7*stri*m 5i,eror*m

among the ;omans? the( hasten the filling of a Co*ntr( that has ,een thinne+ ,( 4ar

or &estilence or that has otherise vacant Territor(3 ,*t cannot increase a &eo'le

,e(on+ the Means 'rovi+e+ for their S*,sistence.

16.!oreign 5**ries G nee+less Man*fact*res im'orte+ an+ *se+ in a Nation

+o ,( the same ;easoning increase the &eo'le of the Nation that f*rnishes them an+

+iminish the &eo'le of the Nation that *ses them. 5as therefore that 'revent s*ch

m'ortations an+ on the contrar( 'romote the E'ortation of Man*fact*res to ,e

cons*me+ in !oreign Co*ntries ma( ,e calle+ >ith ;es'ect to the &eo'le that mae

them? generative 5as as ,( increasing S*,sistence the( enco*rage Marriage. S*ch

5as lieise strengthen a Co*ntr( +o*,l( ,( increasing its on &eo'le an+

+iminishing its Neigh,o*rs.

17.Some E*ro'ean Nations 'r*+entl( ref*se to cons*me the Man*fact*res of

East-n+ia6 The( sho*l+ lieise for,i+ them to their Colonies3 for the 8ain to the

Merchant is not to ,e com'ar+ ith the 5oss ,( this Means of &eo'le to the Nation.

18.9ome 5**r( in the 8reat increases the Nations Man*fact*rers em'lo(+ ,(

it ho are man( an+ onl( ten+s to +iminish the !amilies that in+*lge in it ho are fe.The greater the common fashiona,le E'ence of an( ;an of &eo'le the more

ca*tio*s the( are of Marriage. Therefore 5**r( sho*l+ never ,e s*ffer+ to ,ecome

common.

19.The great ncrease of "ffs'ring in 'artic*lar !amilies is not ala(s oing to

greater !ec*n+it( of Nat*re ,*t sometimes to Eam'les of n+*str( in the 9ea+s an+

in+*strio*s E+*cation3 ,( hich the Chil+ren are ena,le+ to 'rovi+e ,etter for

themselves an+ their marr(ing earl( is enco*rage+ from the &ros'ect of goo+

S*,sistence.

20.f there ,e a Sect therefore in o*r Nation that regar+ !r*galit( an+ n+*str(

as religio*s *ties an+ e+*cate their Chil+ren therein more than others commonl( +o3

s*ch Sect m*st conseif the 5as are goo+ 1#

1B? ill soon ,e fille+ ,( nat*ral 8eneration. 4ho can no fin+ the Vacanc( ma+e in

Se+en !rance or other 4arlie Nations ,( the 'lag*e of 9eroism #0 @ears ago3 in

!rance ,( the E'*lsion of the &rotestants3 in Englan+ ,( the Settlement of herColonies3 or in 8*inea ,( 100 @ears E'ortation of Slaves that has ,lacen+ half

AmericaD : The thinness of nha,itants in S'ain is oing to National &ri+e an+

+leness an+ other Ca*ses rather than to the E'*lsion of the Moors or to the maing

of ne Settlements.

22.There is in short no )o*n+ to the 'rolific Nat*re of &lants or Animals ,*t

hat is ma+e ,( their cro+ing an+ interfering ith each others Means of S*,sistence.

4as the !ace of the Earth vacant of other &lants it might ,e gra+*all( soe+ an+

Benjamin Franklins Stance On Race In 1751; Page 4


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overs'rea+ ith one Iin+ onl(3 as for nstance ith !ennel3 an+ ere it em't( of other

nha,itants it might in a fe Ages ,e re'lenish+ from one Nation onl(3 as for nstance

ith Englishmen. Th*s there are s*''os+ to ,e no *'ar+s of "ne Million English

So*ls in North-America >tho tis tho*ght scarce $0000 have ,een ,ro*ght over Sea?

an+ (et 'erha's there is not one the feer in )ritain ,*t rather man( more on Acco*nt

of the Em'lo(ment the Colonies affor+ to Man*fact*rers at 9ome. This Million +o*,ling

s*''ose ,*t once in 2J @ears ill in another Cent*r( ,e more than the &eo'le of

Englan+ an+ the greatest N*m,er of Englishmen ill ,e on this Si+e the 4ater. 4hat

an Accession of &oer to the )ritish Em'ire ,( Sea as ell as 5an+K 4hat ncrease of

Tra+e an+ NavigationK 4hat N*m,ers of Shi's an+ SeamenK 4e have ,een here ,*t

little more than 100 @ears an+ (et the !orce of o*r &rivateers in the late 4ar Unite+

as greater ,oth in Men an+ 8*ns than that of the hole )ritish Nav( in =*een

EliFa,eths Time. : 9o im'ortant an Affair then to )ritain is the 'resent Treat( for

settling the )o*n+s ,eteen her Colonies an+ the !rench an+ ho caref*l sho*l+ she

,e to sec*re ;oom eno*gh since on the ;oom +e'en+s so m*ch the ncrease of her

&eo'leD

23.n fine A Nation ell reg*late+ is lie a &ol('*s3 tae aa( a 5im, its &laceis soon s*''l(+3 c*t it in to an+ each +eficient &art shall s'ee+il( gro o*t of the &art

remaining. Th*s if (o* have ;oom an+ S*,sistence eno*gh as (o* ma( ,( +ivi+ing

mae ten &ol('es o*t of one (o* ma( of one mae ten Nations e


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4e m*st tae note that here !ranlin rites An+ in E*ro'e the S'aniar+s

talians !rench ;*ssians an+ Se+es are generall( of hat e call a sarth(

Com'leion ...O the S'aniar+s talians !rench an+ ;*ssians are ell non for having

sarth( com'leione+ 'eo'le of mie+ race. 9oever Se+en ha+ their share of

sarth( com'leione+ 'eo'le also. The 1$P# Pth e+. of the *ncy. Britannica,vol. QQ

'. RR# states6 Se+en is +ivi+e+ into three chief 'arts : the so*thern ,eing calle+

8talan+ the mi++le 'art Svealan+ or Se+en 'ro'er an+ the northern Norrlan+. The

north an+ northest 'arts Norrlan+ are calle+ 5a'lan+.O The 1PJ1 World %co!e *ncy.

vol. V *n+er the to'ic 5a'lan+O sa(s in 'art6 The 5a''s are classe+ as T*ranians

,elong to the !innic ,ranch. The( are small in stat*re have a flat nose high chee

,ones an+ a scant( ,ear+. Most of these 'eo'le are m*sc*lar an+ have re+ hair ....OThis +escri'tion s*rel( re'resents a 'eo'le of mie+ raceK o*l+ s*rmise a mit*re of

mongolian an+ Scan+inavian. So !ranlin is not o*t of or+er in his a''raisal.

An+ hen !ranlin state+6 ... in America here e have so fair an "''ort*nit(

,( ecl*+ing all )lacs an+ Tane(s of increasing the lovel( 4hite an+ ;e+DO 9ere ,(

mentioning6 ... the lovel( 4hite an+ ;e+ ...O !ranlin sim'l( meant ,ea*tif*l 4hite

'eo'le ith ros( cheesKBENJAMIN FRANKLIN ON RACE

4e can no see here M.E. )ra+for+ in his- Worthy om!any,>)rief lives of

the framers of the Unite+ States Constit*tion? got his legal confirmation from on 'age

R0 in 'art6

n these long (ears as agent )enHamin !ranlin o'enl( val*e+ the stat*s of the

North American colonies withinthe )ritish Em'ire an+ the flo of English constit*tional

histor( more than +i+ man( of his fello Americans. An Anglo'hile he as clearl( a

rel*ctant revol*tionar(. )*t never +i+ he +o*,t that in some sense America as one

co*ntr( an+ Englan+ another. Tr*e eno*gh he ishe+ to 'reserve the English

character of the colonies6 since the n*m,er of '*rel( hite 'eo'le in the orl+ is'ro'ortionatel( ver( small an+ since the English Lith the Saons of 8erman( mae

the 'rinci'al ,o+( of hite 'eo'le on the face of the earth ... h( sho*l+ the &alatine

,oors ,e s*ffere+ to sarm into o*r settlements ... h( increase the sons of Africa ,(

'lanting them in America here e have a fair o''ort*nit( ,( ecl*+ing all ,lacs an+

tan(s ...DO

"n the ,ac cover of M.E. )ra+for+s ,oo - Worthy om!any,the folloing is

state+6 ... r. )ra+for+s 'enetrating research 'roves that J0 >an+ 'erha's J2? of the

JJ !ramers of the Unite+ States Constit*tion ere Christians. Not h*manists not

eists not agnostics : hristians2The( ere men of The )oo ho ere min+f*l that

those ho govern o*l+ ,e hel+ acco*nta,le to a 9igher A*thorit( for the *se the(

ma+e of their s'ecial 'oers.- Worthy om!anyis an eciting ill*minating or. r.)ra+for+s scholarl( 'enchant for fact an+ historical evi+ence ref*tes the claims of

those ho o*l+ +en( the 're+ominant infl*ence of the Christian faith on the fo*n+ing

of the nation. )( +igging +on to the original +oc*ments an+ recor+s he shos as

7ohn A+ams rote that the American 'eo'le in the ,eginning connecte+ in one

in+issol*,le ,an+ the 'rinci'les of civil government ith the 'rinci'les of Christianit(.O t

all ,oils +on to the fact that Almight( @aheh is the Might( "ne of Segregation hile



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Satan is the go+ of ntegrationK One e!"e #$%& $e '("%)'*e+ 'n( F!'n,n

/$e( e!e'*%n %! *$e $*e R')e


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Ben Franklin on Race