Posted on June 23, 2025
“A Republic, if you can keep it.”
—Benjamin Franklin, 1787
When asked what kind of government had been created after months of secret deliberation at the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin offered one of the most enduring quotes in American history. His words were not triumphant—they were cautionary. Franklin knew that self-government was fragile, and that liberty requires effort, humility, and constant care.
This short video tribute to Franklin is the fourth installment in our “Who Does We Mean to You?” series, which explores how different figures from America’s story help us interpret the promise of We the People. Each one asks us to look in the mirror and consider: Are we still keeping the Republic?
Franklin’s influence on the American experiment cannot be overstated. He was a printer, diplomat, inventor, essayist, and revolutionary thinker whose fingerprints are all over the founding documents. As a member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence, and later as a delegate at the Constitutional Convention, he helped lay the very foundations of our democratic republic.
But Franklin was also skeptical of human nature and deeply realistic about the temptations of power. In a 1789 letter, he wrote:
“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”
That insight speaks directly to our moment. If We the People are to mean anything, we must choose the hard work of virtue over the ease of outrage. We must rise above the noise, and meet Franklin’s challenge.
Watch the short:
Explore More:
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Benjamin Franklin Biography – National Archives
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/franklin-biography -
Founders Online: Benjamin Franklin Writings – U.S. National Archives
https://founders.archives.gov/search/Franklin -
The Benjamin Franklin Papers – Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/collections/franklin-papers/about-this-collection/ -
The Papers of Benjamin Franklin – Yale University
https://franklinpapers.yale.edu
Explore More
For a deeper dive into Franklin’s role in shaping the Constitution, visit the National Constitution Center.
To learn more about the Remember the Preamble campaign, click here.
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