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. 
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