Essays of Benjamin Franklin

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Identifikator:: 1752429486

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-127700

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Franklin, Benjamin http://d-nb.info/gnd/118534912

Title:: Essays of Benjamin Franklin

Place of publication:: New York

Publisher:: G. P. Putnam's Sons

Year of publication:: 1927

Scope:: xi, 273 Seiten

Digitisation:: 2021

Collection:: Economics Books

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Title:: II. The interest of Great Britain considered, with regard to her colonies and the acquisitions of Canada and Guadaloupe

Collection:: Economics Books

Benjamin Franklin [1760 plainly (at length it comes out), if the French are not left there to check the growth of our colonies, “they will extend themselves almost without bounds into inland parts, and increase infinitely from all causes; becoming a numerous, hardy, independent people; possessed of a strong country, communicat- ing little or not at all with England, living wholly on their own labor, and in process of time know- ing little and inquiring little about the mother country In short, according to this writer, our present colonies are large enough and numerous enough; and the French ought to be left in North America to pre- vent their increase, lest they become not only use- less, but dangerous to Britain. I agree with the gentleman, that, with Canada in our possession, our people in America will increase amazingly. I know that their common rate of increase, where they are not molested by the enemy, is doubling their num- bers every twenty-five years, by natural generation only; exclusive of the accession of foreigners.” I think this increase continuing would probably, in a century more, make the number of British subjects 1 The reason of this greater increase in America than in Europe is, that in old settled countries, all trades, farms, offices, and employ- ments are full; and many people refrain from marriage till they see an opening, in which they can settle themselves, with a reasonable prospect of maintaining a family; but in America, it being easy to obtain land, which, with moderate labor will afford subsistence and something to spare, people marry more readily and earlier in life, whence arise a numerous offspring and the swift population of those countries. Itis a common error, that we cannot fill our provinces, or increase the number of them, without draining this nation of its people. The increase alone of our present colonies is sufficient for both those purposes.—F. 26

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