Ben Franklin Voyage 1777

Franklin’s Voyage to France on the USS Reprisal

On October 26th, 1776, Benjamin Franklin, along with his grandsons Temple (age 16) and Benny (age 7), boarded the USS Reprisal to be transported to France. There, Ben would assume the position of the unofficial American ambassador to the French court of Louis XVI. Maintaining the support of France against the British was key to the success of the American Revolution…

Ben Franklin Marten Cap

Ben Franklin’s Fur Cap & Other Headgear

To cover his baldplate and keep his head warm, Ben brought a fur cap with him to France.

Walter Isaacson, in his biography of Franklin, states that the cap was made of Marten fur and that Ben obtained the cap when he traveled to Canada in 1776 seeking support for American independence. He left Canada without any assurance of assistance…