Question for the history buffs on Ben Franklin

[cookvette81]

I read Benjamin Franklin's autobiography a few years back, and I know that he helped local townships raise money for cannons. I thought for sure that I had also read that he owned a few cannons of his own that he had actually borrowed out during the war. I have been trying to find this little factoid again but am having a hard time with it. I might be mis-remembering what I read so I just want to get my facts straight.

Can someone please help in either confirming this as right or wrong or possibly link me to somewhere that I can read up a little more on it because I am coming up blank

Thanks guys,

Caleb Cook

[jmort]

I know a little about Franklin and don't believe he ever owned any cannons but, as you said raised money for cannons and I believe he "borrowed" some from Gov. Clinton for deployment. Would not surprise me if he "owned" a cannon or two or more.

[MT Gianni]

I believe that he bought some for the war effort. I don't remember him owning them for recreational use.

[chrisw]

my great-great-great-great-great grandfather!

[o6Patient]

..by which great,great,great,great-great grandmother:kidding:

[chrisw]

lmao he was a horn dawg

[jmort]

And then there was chrisw. You chaste brother?

[chrisw]

And then there was chrisw. You chaste brother?

I plead the 5th.

[jmort]

Good Answer

[cookvette81]

lol you guys are too funny. What brought this to my attention was when I had a few people tell me that we do not need access to military style weapons(ie AR 15) and that the founding fathers didn't mean the 2A in a way that would keep the people armed as well as the military because there would be constant chaos. When they told me that was reminded of Ben Franklin's role in American history. I asked them a series of questions like if they agreed with the stand that our forefathers took, if they agreed with the constitution / bill of rights ect. and eventually they saw the point I was trying to make and all was good. But I couldn't clearly remember the details of ben's ownership of the cannons but only that he saw he saw fit for the people to be equipped well enough to be able to stand a fighting chance instead of just being fish in a bucket.

[MtGun44]

BS about not armed as good as the military. The militias WERE the military, they had cannon, muskets, etc.
The standing army was TINY compared to the different state militias. Unfortunately, the private militias of that
time don't really exist any more and the National Guard units are controlled by the Pres if there is any need
that he sees. System has been perverted entirely, intended originally to have essentially all the army power
broken up into small militias that elected their own officers, provided their own uniforms and weapons,
INCLUDING cannon. Of course, in the early days of the Civil War a battle was chaotic because nobody had
consistent uniforms, tough to tell who to shoot at.

Note that the Second Amendment says "Arms" - NOT muskets and swords. They LITERALLY meant ALL forms
of ARMS and expected the militias to be fully equal in equipment to the 'regulars'.

Bill

[cookvette81]

BS about not armed as good as the military. The militias WERE the military, they had cannon, muskets, etc.
The standing army was TINY compared to the different state militias. Unfortunately, the private militias of that
time don't really exist any more and the National Guard units are controlled by the Pres if there is any need
that he sees. System has been perverted entirely, intended originally to have essentially all the army power
broken up into small militias that elected their own officers, provided their own uniforms and weapons,
INCLUDING cannon. Of course, in the early days of the Civil War a battle was chaotic because nobody had
consistent uniforms, tough to tell who to shoot at.

Note that the Second Amendment says "Arms" - NOT muskets and swords. They LITERALLY meant ALL forms
of ARMS and expected the militias to be fully equal in equipment to the 'regulars'.

Bill

+ 1 exactly. :-)