“If We Can Keep it?” Reflecting on Benjamin Franklin, the Statesman

In September 1787, Elizabeth Willing Powel approached Benjamin Franklin after the signing of the Constitution and asked, “Well, Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?” Franklin famously answered, “A republic, if you can keep it.” In this lesson, students examine their place in America’s democratic republic and explore the role Franklin played in the creation of America’s founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris (1783), the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. Students will interact with these documents in creative ways. Lesson activities include primary source document analysis, writing, annotation, discussion, and found poetry.