The Atrocity Propaganda Ben Franklin Circulated

[Ichingcarpenter]

The Atrocity Propaganda Ben Franklin Circulated to Sway Public Opinion in America’s Favor


Benjamin Franklin wrote and published this hoax, "Supplement to the Boston Independent Chronicle," in 1782, hoping that it would end up in the hands of British newspaper editors who might reprint articles from its pages. Through these manufactured tales of atrocities perpetrated by Native Americans at the behest of the British, Franklin looked to influence the mindset of the British public as he worked on negotiating the peace treaty that would formally end the conflict between Britain and the new United States.

Franklin penned the letter that takes up three-quarters of the page below using a set of narrative framing devices. Most of the text is written in the voice of a "British agent," James Craufurd, who addresses the governor of Canada, presenting him a shipment of colonists' scalps taken by "Senneka Indians" loyal to the crown. Franklin embedded this letter within another, from Samuel Gerrish, a captain in the New England militia. The fictional voice of "Gerrish" presents the Craufurd letter, purporting to have captured it along with other British military goods.

The description of the scalps includes gruesome and colorful details about the manner in which farmers, mothers, boys, and girls were killed: "102 [scalps] of Farmers...; only 18 marked with a little yellow Flame, to denote their being Prisoners burnt alive, after being scalped, their Nails pulled out by the Roots and other Torments..."

Both colonists and their British opponents had enlisted the help of local Native American tribes in the conflict. Yet, literary historian Carla Mulford writes, "Franklin had probably become aware during his years of diplomacy that the general population in England and Europe was relatively unaware of this situation." In the Supplement, Franklin exploited this lack of awareness by ratcheting up the level of drama. Since Franklin was looking to secure reparations for colonists who had suffered Iroquois attacks, the atrocities reported in such vivid color in the letter would, he hoped, sway British readers to support that objective.

Mulford found evidence that the scalping letter was reprinted a few times in London, and many more in the new United States. Thirty-five American newspapers republished Franklin's handiwork as truth before 1854, when the Trenton, New Jersey, State Gazette outed it as a hoax.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2015/07/01/history_of_benjamin_franklin_diplomacy_propaganda_newspaper_with_stories.html?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5594b38204d3012809000001&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

[whatchamacallit]

1. Reminds me of ISIS reporting n/t

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. Franklin was a master propagandist

Franklin was also quite talented in producing convincing propaganda. One of his more famous propaganda operations involved generating dissatisfaction among German mercenaries serving with British forces in America.

In 1777, Franklin composed a letter from a Prussian Prince to the commander of the Prince’s mercenary troops. The letter questioned casualty figures provided by the British Government and exposed British human rights violations committed against the Americans.

The forged letter also advised the commander to let his wounded soldiers die because the British would pay more for a death than for a wounded soldier. The letter was widely circulated in Europe and among Prussian troops in the colonies, and was credited with causing numerous desertions.

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I was also reminded of the incubator baby story in Kuwait that was a lie.


Franklin is one of my favorite figures of the founding fathers.......His time in France is well worth the read.

[smiley]

2. I would have to assume that...

Franklin was a superb liar.

[malthaussen]

3. Mr Franklin had a record of that.

I won't go into details, but he used propaganda very effectively to stir up the Legislature against the Quaker party. His famous quote "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" is actually quite interesting in context. As a hint, it had to do with neither essential liberty nor safety.

-- Mal