The Franklin Prophecy
Encyclopedia
"The Franklin Prophecy", sometimes called "The Franklin Forgery", is an antisemitic speech falsely attributed to Benjamin Franklin
, warning of the supposed dangers of admitting Jews
to the nascent United States
. The speech was purportedly transcribed by Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
during the Constitutional Convention
of 1787, but was unknown before its appearance in 1934 in the pages of William Dudley Pelley's
Silver Legion pro-Nazi weekly magazine Liberation. (Pinckney wrote that he had kept a journal of the Convention, but it has never been found, and Pelley's claims that it was printed privately, and that the Franklin Institute has a manuscript copy, are unsubstantiated.)
groups and antisemitic websites, where it is presented as authentic. On February 18, 1998, a member of the Fatah Central Committee revived this myth and mistakenly referred to Franklin as a former President of the United States. Osama Bin Laden
has even used this canard briefly in his October 2002 "Letter to the American People." While its author is not known, many who have investigated the "prophecy" suspect Pelley of having penned it himself.
The U.S. Congress
report Anti-Semitism in Europe: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on European Affairs of the Committee on Foreign Relations (2004) states:
Franklin was, in fact, a friend to the Jews of 18th-century America, and contributed toward the building of Philadelphia's first permanent synagogue.
There have been similar false antisemitic quotations attributed to George Washington
which have been debunked. In fact, in 1790, in a marked sign of religious tolerance, Washington sent a letter to the Jewish community in Rhode Island
, writing "May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid."
during the convention of the Continental Congress
. Primarily, it is a polemic arguing against admitting Jewish immigration into the newly formed country. Among the points made are the following.
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
, warning of the supposed dangers of admitting Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
to the nascent United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The speech was purportedly transcribed by Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
Charles Cotesworth “C. C.” Pinckney , was an early American statesman of South Carolina, Revolutionary War veteran, and delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He was twice nominated by the Federalist Party as their presidential candidate, but he did not win either election.-Early life and...
during the Constitutional Convention
Philadelphia Convention
The Constitutional Convention took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address problems in governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from...
of 1787, but was unknown before its appearance in 1934 in the pages of William Dudley Pelley's
William Dudley Pelley
William Dudley Pelley was an American extremist and spiritualist who founded the Silver Legion in 1933, and ran for President in 1936 for the Christian Party.-Family:...
Silver Legion pro-Nazi weekly magazine Liberation. (Pinckney wrote that he had kept a journal of the Convention, but it has never been found, and Pelley's claims that it was printed privately, and that the Franklin Institute has a manuscript copy, are unsubstantiated.)
Authenticity
Despite having been repeatedly discredited since its first appearance, the "prophecy" has proved a remarkably durable canard, returning most recently as a popular internet hoax promulgated on UsenetUsenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
groups and antisemitic websites, where it is presented as authentic. On February 18, 1998, a member of the Fatah Central Committee revived this myth and mistakenly referred to Franklin as a former President of the United States. Osama Bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
has even used this canard briefly in his October 2002 "Letter to the American People." While its author is not known, many who have investigated the "prophecy" suspect Pelley of having penned it himself.
The U.S. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
report Anti-Semitism in Europe: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on European Affairs of the Committee on Foreign Relations (2004) states:
The Franklin "Prophecy" is a classic anti-Semitic canard that falsely claims that American statesman Benjamin Franklin made anti-Jewish statements during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It has found widening acceptance in Muslim and Arab media, where it has been used to criticize Israel and Jews...
Franklin was, in fact, a friend to the Jews of 18th-century America, and contributed toward the building of Philadelphia's first permanent synagogue.
There have been similar false antisemitic quotations attributed to George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
which have been debunked. In fact, in 1790, in a marked sign of religious tolerance, Washington sent a letter to the Jewish community in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, writing "May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid."
Elements of the speech
The setting for the speech is apparently a dinner table discussion recorded by Charles Cotesworth PinckneyCharles Cotesworth Pinckney
Charles Cotesworth “C. C.” Pinckney , was an early American statesman of South Carolina, Revolutionary War veteran, and delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He was twice nominated by the Federalist Party as their presidential candidate, but he did not win either election.-Early life and...
during the convention of the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
. Primarily, it is a polemic arguing against admitting Jewish immigration into the newly formed country. Among the points made are the following.
- They (the Jews) will amass in the United States in large numbers and change the government.
- They are vampires and will make Ben Franklin and his audience's descendants toil in the fields for their own benefit.
- They will not integrate into the larger society.
- They are derisive towards and will undermine the Christian religion.
- They are forever pining to return to Palestine, but would never go there to live if given a chance.
Further reading
- Allen, Henry Butler. "Franklin and the Jews." The Franklin Institute News. Vol.III, No.4, August 1938, pp. 1–2.
- Beard, Charles A.Charles A. BeardCharles Austin Beard was, with Frederick Jackson Turner, one of the most influential American historians of the first half of the 20th century. He published hundreds of monographs, textbooks and interpretive studies in both history and political science...
“Exposing the Anti-Semitic Forgery about Franklin.” Jewish Frontier. New York, March 1935, pp. 1–13. - Boller, Paul F., and John George. They Never Said It: A Book of Fake Quotes, Misquotes, and Misleading Attributions. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
- Boyd, Julian P. “Society News and Accessions.” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. Vol 61. April, 1937, pp. 233–234.
- Kominsky, MorrisMorris KominskyMorris Kominsky was the author of The Hoaxers: Plain Liars, Fancy Liars and Damned Liars .-Biography:...
. The Hoaxers: Plain Liars, Fancy Liars, and Damned Liars. Branden Press: 1970. - Lopez, Claude-Anne. “Prophet and Loss.” The New Republic. January 7, 1997.
- Pelley, William Dudley, ed. “Did Benjamin Franklin Say this About the Hebrews?” Liberation. Vol 5, No.24. February 3, 1934.