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On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 29, 1774, Benjamin Franklin was summoned before the King’s advisers in an octagonal chamber at Whitehall Palace known as the Cockpit. Intended as a public humiliation, the encounter instead became a turning point. Franklin entered as a loyal servant of the British Empire and left deeply disillusioned, newly committed to the American cause.

Sheila Skemp, author of The Making of a Patriot: Benjamin Franklin at the Cockpit, tells the story of the extraordinary hour that helped turn one of Britain’s most famous subjects into an American patriot and set him on a collision course with his own son. We'd like to thank the U.S. Library of Congress for originally hosting this audio.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 29, 1774, Benjamin Franklin was summoned before the King&rsquo;s advisers in an octagonal chamber at Whitehall Palace known as the Cockpit. Intended as a public humiliation, the encounter instead became a turning point. Franklin entered as a loyal servant of the British Empire and left deeply disillusioned, newly committed to the American cause.
Sheila Skemp, author of&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMaking-Patriot-Benjamin-Historical-Encounters%2Fdp%2F0195386566&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7Cee65a3e720bb48bcf5d208de4eedb0e9%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639034979961065437%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=DeYPgxl59QrHgIMXXyDZ8U3JUQOsMpZz%2BHk3XVa%2BClo%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">The Making of a Patriot: Benjamin Franklin at the Cockpit</a>, tells the story of the extraordinary hour that helped turn one of Britain&rsquo;s most famous subjects into an American patriot and set him on a collision course with his own son. We'd like to thank the U.S. Library of Congress for originally hosting this audio.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories

How British Elites Turned Benjamin Franklin into an American Patriot

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7f431523-47ac-4375-a3e6-b3cc01680d38/transcript