Benjamin Franklin was coming to the realization by 1774 that his abstract dream of Pennsylvania independence was rapidly descending into reality, and in that setting, he had not considered the insurmountability of the task. He would need essential advice and assistance if he were to bring this goal to fruition, and to that end, he realized that neither he nor Thomas Pownall, nor John Fothergill had the wherewithal and contacts to press forward. But one key addition to the “inner circle” most assuredly did: David Barclay.
In perhaps the single most critical meeting of the inner circle, in late summer 1774, Franklin, Pownall, Fothergill and Barclay would lay out the specifics of the American Revolution. Who would lead the military, who would provide finances, who would supply the military, who would deliver the military supplies across a blockade of American ports, how the circle would maintain its communication across two continents in the midst of revolution, all were salient topics at this point. And all had to be addressed carefully and thoroughly.
Here then, for your listening pleasure, is the first time you will hear of the plan for American Independence, as articulated by three individuals that 1) you have never heard of, and 2) would never again set foot in the new nation.
These four excerpts barely scratch the surface of the depth of intrigue Benjamin Franklin pursued to free Pennsylvania from the British Empire. I am excited to bring to you the story that the entire United States has been denied now for 250 years and can now hear for the first time. I hope you enjoy it. Today it will make sense of many of the political issues across our broad nation, and through the truth of the inception of American independence, we can see our own political reality across ethnic and racial boundaries, and through the eyes of the international community.
