Ben Franklin | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/ben-franklin/RSS feed for Ben FranklinenTue, 12 May 2026 16:03:53 +0000Benjamin Franklin Styled Lady Liberty’s Look in This Medal He Commissioned to Honor American and French Allies in the Revolutionary Warhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/benjamin-franklin-styled-lady-libertys-look-in-this-medal-he-commissioned-to-honor-american-and-french-allies-in-the-revolutionary-war-180988723/Franklin combined art with diplomacy to create the Libertas Americana. For the United States’ 250th anniversary, the Paris Mint is giving the design a refreshTue, 12 May 2026 16:03:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/benjamin-franklin-styled-lady-libertys-look-in-this-medal-he-commissioned-to-honor-american-and-french-allies-in-the-revolutionary-war-180988723/Before He Was a Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin Founded the Lending Library. Now His Belongings Are on Display There Before Heading to Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-benjamin-franklins-belongings-head-to-auction-they-go-on-display-at-a-place-he-loved-and-invented-a-library-in-philadelphia-180988692/In 1731, book lover Franklin created the Library Company of Philadelphia, where this week visitors can see a collection of his papers worth an estimated $3 million to $4.5 millionThu, 07 May 2026 13:43:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-benjamin-franklins-belongings-head-to-auction-they-go-on-display-at-a-place-he-loved-and-invented-a-library-in-philadelphia-180988692/In 1776, the Declaration of Independence Was Breaking News. Here's How the Founding Document Reached the American Publichttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-1776-the-declaration-of-independence-was-breaking-news-heres-how-the-founding-document-reached-the-american-public-180988494/A new book by historian Emily Sneff records the journeys of the Declaration's first printed copies, tracking their reception in the Thirteen Colonies and overseasMon, 13 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-1776-the-declaration-of-independence-was-breaking-news-heres-how-the-founding-document-reached-the-american-public-180988494/In a New Documentary, One of Britain's Most Famous Historians Reframes the American Revolution as a 'Messy Divorce'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-a-new-documentary-one-of-britains-most-famous-historians-reframes-the-american-revolution-as-a-messy-divorce-180988457/Lucy Worsley's PBS series highlights the emotional fallout of the conflict, with a focus on the British perspectiveMon, 06 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-a-new-documentary-one-of-britains-most-famous-historians-reframes-the-american-revolution-as-a-messy-divorce-180988457/