Ben Franklin life lesson: How Humiliation turned a Diplomat into an Incendiary

"When you really listen to another person from their point of view, and reflect back to them that understanding, it's like giving them emotional oxygen." Stephen Covey Had King George of Great Britain followed this mantra, we might possibly have never formed the United States of America. Dr. Sheila Skemp does an excellent job in her book, The Making of a Patriot: Benjamin Franklin at the Cockpit, of explaining the missteps of the British government that brought us to revolution. Equally as fascinating is the "behind the curtain" look at Benjamin Franklin's otherwise less known attributes. Contrary to popular belief, the American Revolution cannot be boiled down to a simple "no taxation without representation." We Americans wanted all the benefits of being a part of the vast British empire without the sacrifices of paying for it. After the Seven Years War, where England sent over troops to help us with the Indian skirmishes and the French-Indian War, parliament had to devise ways to replenish the coffers as the native British were drowning in debt and taxes protecting and servicing their great empire. King George and Lord North found it necessary and fair to raise revenue from America. Every time they attempted to raise such revenue: the Stamp Act, the Townshend Act, the tax on teas, the Americans protested. Almost every regulation was then struck down to accommodate the colonies, while Ben Franklin in London and parliament quibbled over the meanings of "external" versus "internal" taxes and regulation tariffs. Call it what you will, one thing is certain. The Americans wanted no part of contributing to the British government (they did not mind certain regulatory tariffs versus "taxes"). Ben Franklin meanwhile was lobbying to make Pennsylvania a royal colony (taking it away from the propietary colony of the Penns) while enjoying his British high paying job of Postmaster of the Colonies, awarded to him by King George. While the British parliament threw up their arms at their repeated attempts to both placate the Americans and raise funds, Ben Franklin as the American representative and lobbyist for several colonies, continued

to speak out of both sides of his mouth: advocate for a royal colony while lobbying that the colonies be allowed more self rule. When it comes right down to it, it's not that Americans longed for "taxation with representation", they wanted independence and self rule but a connection to the British empire (similar to Australia). As Ben Franklin tried to walk the tight rope, the British permanently knocked him off when Lord Alexander Wedderburn humiliated him "in the cockpit" berating him publicly for fomenting rebellion by releasing private royal correspondence from Massachusetts royal governor Thomas Hutchison. Ben thought he was explaining to the British the American frustration of having a royal governor who was not in tune with American complaints, while the British saw that releasing this documentation only exposed their royal government in an unflattering light, angering Americans even more. The truth is, there simply could be no winners. By making a fool of Ben Franklin to release their frustrations, they lost an ally whose only wish was to keep the peace and formulate a working and healthy relationship between Great Britain and the U.S. The loss was theirs. The two great lessons in this are: had the British listened early on to the colonists, they would have realized that independence (self governance) and a healthy connection to the Empire was the only option. When Admiral Richard Howe met with Ben Franklin days after July 4, 1776 making this offer, it was too late. Ben Franklin, once a firm believer had been forever severed from British good will the day they made a mockery of him in front of parliament. The great lesson being, think long and hard before attacking someone's loyalty. By making Ben Franklin a public spectacle in the cockpit, it ultimately proved to be the biggest British policy blunder yet. It turned a true diplomat into a diehard incendiary. Listening, whether it be one on one or on a large scale such as with foreign relations, is vital to progress and resolution. Lack of listening and true understanding forever impedes. Humiliation in any form can prove to be the distastrous lynch pin.