Benjamin Franklin was undoubtedly one of the most important arbiters of American culture and society at the time of the Revolution, when the young nation was establishing its constitutions, laws, and civil institutions. Franklin also played a major role in defining a new and important role for women in this society. This volume brings together a distinguished group of scholars who are either authorities on Franklin or on the role of women in the eighteenth century to adjudge the record and intentions of Franklin in this most vulnerable facet of his character, life, and place in history.

The essays in this volume grew out of a symposium organized by Tise at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. They fall into two groups, those that examine Benjamin Franklin’s relationship with women (sisters, relatives, love interests, and friends) and those that explore more generally the role of women in Franklin’s era. Topics addressed include Franklin’s theories on relations between men and women, the nature of marriage, the dangers as well as the delights of sex, and the importance of education for men and women.