Atlantic Cousins : Benjamin Franklin and His Visionary Friends

by Fruchtman, Jack, JR.

• ISBN13: 9781560259626
• ISBN10: 1560259620
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-08
• Publisher: Perseus Books Group

Summary

Benjamin Franklin and his fellow thinkers of the Enlightenment are among the most intriguing people in history. In nearly all areas-science, politics, social justice, philosophy, medicine-these men and women revolutionized the world around them. Even by contemporary standards, their ideas seem inspired and inspiring. But that doesn't mean these revolutionaries didn't have their factions. Often bitter, even murderous, disagreements fractured their ranks. Standing at their center and ultimately uniting them all was the towering figure of Ben Franklin. Atlantic Cousins illuminates the work of these extraordinary visionaries, whose progressive ideas and ideals still ring true today. The author uses anecdotes and short histories to engage the reader, and he roots it all in intense scholarship and research worthy of the subject matter. Atlantic Cousins reveals fascinating historical facts. Do you know the origin of the phrase "animal magnetism"? Or how we have carbonated beverages? Or who opposed-or supported-slavery a hundred years before Lincoln? Or what first inspired the modern welfare state? After reading this book, you will. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Jack Fruchtman, Jr., is the author of Thomas Paine: Apostle of Freedom, and several books on the Age of Enlightenment. He is a professor of political science at Maryland's Towson University.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Franklin's Atlantic Cousins	p. 1
America
Three Men and the Horrors of Slavery: Whitefield, Benezet, and Sharp	p. 23
Benjamin Rush, Revolution, Religion, and Medicine	p. 55
Paine, Revolutionary Zeal, and Engineering	p. 101
England
Price and Priestley, Religious Dissent and Revolution	p. 141
Price, Priestley, and Scientific Inquiry	p. 169
France
Marat and Mesmer, Charlatans or Misunderstood Scientists?	p. 197
Condorcet, Revolution, and la Republique Francaise	p. 233
Brissot, Revolutionary Politics, and Democracy	p. 269
Learning in the New Era	p. 305
Epilogue: A Future of Progress, Liberty, and Justice	p. 325
Short Titles	p. 333
Notes	p. 335
Works Cited	p. 367
Index	p. 387
Acknowledgments	p. 403
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