One of Franklin's electricity letters.

This Benjamin Franklin letter is from a series of letters he wrote about his studies of electricity. Franklin sent his observations in a series of letters to Peter Collinson of London and to others. Collinson was a member of the Royal Society, an organization which encouraged study in the sciences.

Collinson understood the importance of Franklin's discoveries and had the letters published in a book called "Experiments and Observations on Electricity Made at Philadelphia in America" so others could learn from them. This book was so popular that it became the most reproduced book of the eighteenth century, making Franklin famous in Europe and America.

In this particular letter, Franklin tells Collinson that he is so involved in his electrical studies that he hardly has time for anything else. He also tells Collinson he will keep him up to date with any observations he makes. You can read the complete series of letters at our Benjamin Franklin and Electricity page.

Benjamin Franklin letter about Electricity
to Peter Collinson

Philadelphia, March 28, 1747

Sir,

Your kind present of an electric tube, with directions for using it, has put several of us on making electrical experiments, in which we have observed some particular phaenomena that we look upon to be new. I shall, therefore communicate them to you in my next, though possibly they may not be new to you, as among the numbers daily employed in those experiments on your side the water, 'tis probable some one or other has hit on the same observations. For my own part, I never was before engaged in any study that so totally engrossed my attention and my time as this has lately done; for what with making experiments when I can be alone, and repeating them to my Friends and Acquaintance, who, from the novelty of the thing, come continually in crouds to see them, I have, during some months past, had little leisure for any thing else. I am, &c.

B. Franklin

Red stars

Go back to the Ben Franklin Electricity letters list here.

You can also read about the history of Benjamin Franklin's studies on electricity here.

Check out our Facts about Benjamin Franklin here and check out our Ben Franklin Quotes here.


Benjamin Franklin and Electricity Letters

Benjamin Franklin and Electricity

Facts About Benjamin Franklin

Facts About Benjamin Franklin 2

Benjamin Franklin Inventions

Ben Franklin Quotes

Revolutionary War and Beyond Home

Like This Page?

Facebook Comments

people have commented on this page. Share your thoughts about what you just read! Leave a comment in the box below.
Enjoy this page? Here's the link to add it to your own page

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

© 2008 - 2022 Revolutionary-War-and-Beyond.com  Dan & Jax Bubis