1/3 of life spent in Britain
Franklin spent approximately a third of his life in Britain, living for 16 years between 1757 and 1775 in a house just off what is now Trafalgar Square in London.
Snapshot · The Rest Is History
684. Franklin: Revenge of the American Genius (Part 2)
Explore episode
Jul 1, 2026
Where this was said
Introducing Franklin: The Most Famous American of the 18th Century
At 9:30 · chapter starts 5:55
Tom Holland opens his case for Franklin with unmistakable enthusiasm: this is a man he finds both impressive and genuinely appealing, a contrast to the dogmatic revolutionaries who typically populate this kind of history. Franklin is the most famous American of the 18th century by miles, admired not just in America but across Europe, and his carefully curated image of mingled amiability and resolve is no less authentic for being a performance [1] — Tom Holland "Franklin is the only person to have signed all four foundational documents of the United States. When news of the French alliance reached G…" 06:55 . As the only man to sign the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty with France, the Peace Treaty with Britain, and the Constitution, Franklin's fingerprints are on every hinge of the Republic's founding — and when news of the French alliance reached Washington, he reportedly dropped his dignity and played cricket. The hosts agree Franklin belongs on the $100 bill.
Only man to sign all 4 founding documents
Franklin is the only person to sign all four foundational documents of the United States: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty with France, the Peace Treaty with Britain, and the Constitution.
The Only Man to Sign All Four Founding Documents
Franklin is the only person to have signed all four foundational documents of the United States. When news of the French alliance reached George Washington, he was so excited he dropped his dignity and played cricket. That is the scale of what Franklin achieved.
Franklin: Britain's Most Loyal American
Franklin spent a third of his life in Britain, attended George III's coronation, and called the king 'the most amiable of kings.' He was not a revolutionary by nature — he was one by experience. His transformation from loyalist to founding father is the story of how the colonies themselves changed.
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