“Unlocking Humanity: The Surprising Secret Behind What Makes Us Truly Human”
Unfortunately, his rigid morals and somewhat abrasive, hard nosed personality simply didn’t fit with the French courts. In contrast, his partner in all this at the time in Ben Franklin would seemingly do absolutely nothing but carouse with women who wanted to meet one of the most famous men in the world in himself, noting “The French ladies have however 1000 other ways of rendering themselves agreeable by their various Attentions and Civilities, & their sensible Conversation. ‘Tis a delightful People to live with.” When he wasn’t charming the ladies, he was attending parties to all hours and just having a great time.
However, for as much as on the outside it appeared to Adams that Franklin was doing little but leering at women and partying like it’s 1799, there was method to Franklin’s madness, and in all of this, his influence in French Court became extreme and the nation as a whole, including the elite among them, came to adore Franklin. In fact, upon Franklin’s death in 1790, the Constitutional Assembly in Revolutionary France declared a 3 day period of mourning in Franklin’s honor, and memorial services for Franklin were held across the country.
More on all this and the genuinely fascinating story of this oddcouple working together in several critical, history changing instances in our documentary That Time John Adams and Ben Franklin Slept Together and the Hilarity that Ensued. But for now, suffice it to say, Franklin was getting the job done in France, and Adams was not. Seeing this, partially at the suggestion of Adams, Franklin was appointed sole Minister Plenipotentiary to France and Adam’s reduced to private citizen, temporarily returning home to Massachusetts. While his pride may have been hurt in all this, his failure in France became a major boon to the United States back home.
