Historian Edward Larson Talks about Washington & Franklin on Book TV

The Franklin and Washington partnership was one of equals.
Like FDR and Churchill.  Like LBJ and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Both were indispensable to the success of the revolution and the constitutional convention.
How did they work together is how he was drawn to the topic.  A leadership studies question.
No one has done a dual biography like this before.
Larson likes to write on new questions.  Not another Washington bio.  Not another Franklin bio.
Loves to do research into the archives.  Letters to each other leading to the telling the story.
Stern father type figure vs. an avuncular type figure.
Their friendship started in the 1750's with the French and Indian War.
Franklin was an immigrant into Pennsylvania fleeing indentureship from.
At the time Philadelphia was the second biggest English speaking city in the world.
Got into politics.  Was not a Quaker.  Become wealthy in Philadelphia.
He became the Governor or President of Pennsylvania.
Franklin was the military leader of Pennsylvania during the F & I War.
War started over conflict over Pittsburg area between Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Washington led the Virginia militia as Franklin was leading the Pennsylvania militia.
W and F met each other in this military context.
After the F & I war W returns to Mt. Vernon and established wheat farming replacing cotton.
W & F learned you couldn't trust the British.
Americans would always be second-class to the British.
Both were confident men without petty jealousies.
Both learned that the colonies had to work together to advance.
They saw the British could be beaten thru what they had seen in the F and I War.
In the second continental convention Franklin, know as a military leader, proposed Washington to lead the continental army.  Done.
Franklin cowrote the DOI.
Franklin was the key person in procuring French help in the Revolutionary War.
Colonies had to have French help to with independence.
Final victory came with French soldiers on the ground at Yorktown as well as the blockade of Cornwallis.  French soldiers arranged by Franklin.
Franklin becomes president of Pennsylvania as Washington returns to Virginia.
Both saw the states collapsing after the war without a central government controlling military, foreign affairs, tax and spend for the good of all, etc.  Both Franklin and Washington had the same vision.
W goes to Franklin's house first thing arriving in Philadelphia for the convention.
W saw F's books.
W wanted a strong executive.  F wanted a weak president.
Differed on slavery.
But worked together.
F got Pennsylvania to ratify the new constitution first.
Franklin has his maxims.  He had multitudes.  A pragmatist.
Washington said his countenance never betrayed his feelings.
They had distinct public personalities.
Both were successful business people.
Both men listened first before talking.
Never wavered on principles.
Saw that colonies would always be second-class citizens in the British system.
We Americans are not descended from fearful people.
Franklin was unanimously elected President of Pennsylvania and Washington unanimously elected POTUS twice.
Both believed there was divine providence involved, that something new was being created here.
Their advice today would be to avoid partisanship.  Washington said this in his farewell address.