The Franklin Project condemns the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and calls for renewed investment in American democracy.
America faces interwoven crises in civic trust. The past six months have seen BLM protests that amplified new voices for social justice; voter suppression efforts that disenfranchised many of those very voices; and an attempted insurrection that tried to upend the results of a free and fair democratic election. In the aftermath of these paroxysms, Americans of all political affiliations may return to our founders, seeking examples for how to rebuild institutions, engage respectfully as American citizens, and navigate seemingly irreconcilable differences.
Benjamin Franklin contained multitudes. Slave-holder and abolitionist; entrepreneur and philanthropist; loyalist and patriot; politician and statesman. Franklin was quick to recognize his mistakes, what he termed “errata.” Just as the printer can correct errata through future editions, Franklin sought to improve himself, his community, and his fledgling nation through self-examination, reform, and institution-building. During the Constitutional Convention, when it was unclear whether the sun was in fact rising or setting on our grand republican experiment, Franklin infused a spirit of compromise and reconciliation, inspiring the delegates to find new ways to work with old political adversaries to advance the cause of the union. The Franklin Project draws inspiration from Benjamin Franklin, not in spite of but because of the individual and communal shortcomings that he sought to address through education, civic engagement, and collective action. We call on the nation’s leaders and citizens to follow his example during these difficult times for our nation.
