Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, etc.
Franklin projected an exponential growth (doubling every 25 years)[4] in the population of the Thirteen Colonies, so that in a century "the greatest Number of Englishmen will be on this Side of the Water", thereby increasing the power of England.[7] According to the United States Census, from 1750 to 1900, the population of colonial and continental America overall doubled every twenty five years, correctly aligning with Franklin's prediction.[6][9] The work was cited by Adam Smith in his Wealth of Nations, in Ezra Stiles's Discourse on the Christian Union, and in Richard Price's Observations on Reversionary Payments.Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them, and will never adopt our language or customs, any more than they can acquire our complexion?"[5][9] Recognizing the potential offense that these comments might give, Franklin deleted the final paragraph from later editions of the essay, but his derogatory remarks about the Germans were picked up and used against him by his political enemies in Philadelphia, leading to a decline in support among the Pennsylvania Dutch.
Thirteen ColoniesBenjamin FranklinBritish Crownexponential growthWalter IsaacsonUnited States CensusProtectionistAdam SmithEzra StilesRichard PriceDavid HumeSamuel JohnsonWilliam GodwinThomas MalthusAn Essay on the Principle of PopulationCharles DarwinConway Zirklepopulation growthAnglo-SaxonsWhite peopleGordon S. WoodPennsylvania DutchPennsylvania Provincial AssemblyProceedings of the American Philosophical SocietyWood, Gordon S.Brands, H. W.van Doren, CarlZirkle, ConwayAmerican Philosophical SocietyNational ArchivesPresident of Pennsylvania (1785–1788)Ambassador to France (1779–1785)Second Continental Congress (1775–1776)Join, or Die. (1754 political cartoon)Albany Plan of UnionAlbany CongressHutchinson letters affairCommittee of Secret CorrespondenceCommittee of Five"...to be self-evident"Declaration of IndependenceModel TreatyFranco-American allianceTreaty of Amity and CommerceTreaty of AllianceStaten Island Peace Conference1776 Pennsylvania ConstitutionLibertas AmericanaTreaty of Paris, 1783Delegate, 1787 Constitutional ConventionPostmaster GeneralFounding FathersFranklin's electrostatic machineBifocalsFranklin stoveLightning rodKite experimentPay it forwardAssociators111th Infantry RegimentJunto clubLibrary Company of PhiladelphiaPennsylvania HospitalAcademy and College of PhiladelphiaUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia ContributionshipUnion Fire CompanyEarly American currencyContinental Currency dollar coinFugio centStreet lightingPresident, Pennsylvania Abolition SocietyMaster, Les Neuf SœursGravesiteThe Papers of Benjamin FranklinFounders OnlineSilence Dogood letters (1722)A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain (1725)The Busy-Body columns (1729)The Pennsylvania Gazette (1729–1790)Early American publishers and printersPoor Richard's Almanack (1732–1758)The Drinker's Dictionary (1737)"Advice to a Friend on Choosing a Mistress" (1745)"The Speech of Polly Baker" (1747)Experiments and Observations on Electricity (1751)The Way to Wealth (1758)Pennsylvania Chronicle (1767)A Letter to a Royal Academy (1781)"The Morals of Chess" (1786)The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1771–1790, pub. 1791)Bagatelles and Satires (pub. 1845)Franklin's phonetic alphabetBibliographyFranklin CourtBenjamin Franklin HouseBenjamin Franklin Institute of TechnologyBenjamin Franklin ParkwayBenjamin Franklin National MemorialFranklin InstituteawardsBenjamin Franklin MedalRoyal Society of Arts medalDepicted in The Apotheosis of WashingtonMemorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of IndependenceTreaty of ParisBenjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the SkyRevolutionary War DoorBoston statueChicago statueColumbus, Ohio, statueUniversity of Pennsylvania statuePortland, Oregon, statueSan Francisco statueStanford University statueWashington D.C. statueRefunding CertificateFranklin half dollarOne-hundred-dollar billFranklin silver dollarWashington–Franklin stampsCities, counties, schools named for FranklinBenjamin Franklin CollegeFranklin FieldMount Franklin