Benjamin Franklin and the Crisis of the British Empire

In this talk, Pulitzer Prizewinning historian Walter A. McDougall will explore the nature of the crisis that led to the split between Britain and the colonies between 1763 and 1776, with emphasis on Benjamin Franklin’s role as the colonies’ principal agent in London during those years. He was an avid British patriot who tried to reconcile Parliament and the colonies until the very last year. What happened and why? Join us for this unique discussion of the politics and geopolitics of the American Revolution.

Walter A. McDougall is the author of several critically acclaimed books including: The Tragedy of U.S Foreign Policy (2016), Freedom Just Around the Corner: A New American History 1585-1828 (2005), Throes of Democracy: The American Civil War Era, 1829-1877 (2008), and Promised Land, Crusader State (1997). One reviewer described McDougall as “a national treasure” while another labeled him “America’s greatest living historian.” He received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago and is a veteran of the Vietnam War. McDougall is a Senior Fellow at FPRI and founding co-chair of FPRI’s Butcher History Institute for Teachers.