Benjamin Franklin Bache (Journalist)
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Franklin Bache (Aug. 12, 1769 – Sept. 10, 1798), son of Richard
and Sarah Bache
and the grandson of Benjamin Franklin
, was an American journalist. He headed the openly Jeffersonian publication, the Philadelphia Aurora
, which is notable for being some of the impulse behind the Alien and Sedition Acts. Bache was often referred to as "Lightning Rod Junior" after his famous grandfather.
, only daughter of Benjamin Franklin
, met Richard Bache
while away from her parents. They were married on November 2, 1767. On August 12, 1769 she gave birth to a son, Benjamin.
From the moment she set eyes on him, Benjamin Franklin Bache’s grandmother, Deborah Read
, fell in love with her grandson. She called him “her little kingbird,” and saw “Benny,” as she called him, her very own. While Deborah Read and Benjamin Franklin
raised Franklin's illegitimate son, William together, Deborah Read Franklin's only son with her husband, Francis Folger Franklin died from smallpox at the age of four.
Benjamin Franklin Bache was baptized on August 30, 1769 in Christ Church in Philadelphia. His godmothers were his aunt and his grandmother. His godfathers were his uncle and his grandfather, who had a proxy in his place.
On December 19, 1774, young Bache lost his grandmother. Although he was at her funeral, he regretted that he was not at her deathbed. In May 1775, at the age of five, Bache met his grandfather for the first time. His grandfather’s arrival brought more tumult to his home.
On October 29, 1776, accompanying his grandfather on one of his many diplomatic missions, Bache and his cousin, William Temple Franklin
boarded the USS Reprisal, and sailed for France. Bache settled in Passy, an affluent district of Paris. During his voyage, Bache experienced violent storms, and battles with hostile British ships. Soon after arriving in France, Benjamin Franklin enrolled his grandson in Le Coeur’s, a Parisian boarding school. Bache attended Le Coeur's with other students from Great Britain's North American colonies such as Charles Cochran, his close friend Jesse Deane, and John Quincy Adams
, son of John Adams
.
Bache was a good student, and won the school prize for translating Latin
into French
at yet another school in Geneva
, Switzerland
. Perhaps due to his grandfather's habit of being away without visiting for long periods of time, Bache was a depressed and shy adolescent. Though sensible and reasonable, those around him observed that oftentimes, he came across as cold, inexpressive, and lacking in imagination.
Upon returning to Philadelphia, Bache began working as a printer at his grandfather's old shop, presaging his future career as a newspaper editor. He took lessons for a time under François Didot, a well acknowledged and respected printer. After living abroad, his home town of Philadelphia felt foreign to him.
Bache learned type-founding as an apprentice in Paris to Francois-Ambrose Didot, first printer to print on vellum paper. He saw Didot as the “best printer that now exist and maybe that has ever existed.” Becoming the man he had been raised to be, Bache worked in a shop at the family’s Franklin Court property on Market Street. His grandfather was starting to fade. BFB oversaw the shop’s operations, but under the watchful eye of his grandfather. The first printing Bache was given to do was "An Ode in Imitation of Alcaeus," a poem by linguistic scholar William Jones decrying England’s corruption and the misuse of monarchical power. Bache’s first ventures in commercial publishing were school texts. Bache reprinted Isaiah Thomas’ collection of writing by Aesop and Erasmus. His earlier ventures also included reprinting a series of four Lessons for Children books by Anna Letitia Barbauld, an English woman who used Lockean behavioral techniques of esteem and disgrace to instill wisdom and virtue. The children in Barbauld’s works learned that they were not to cry, mistreat animals, or be idle. One of the story’s is of three boys at a boarding school each receives cakes from home. One of the boys, Harry, greedily eats his cake and becomes sick. The other, Peter, hoards his cake until it becomes stale. The third boy, Billy, shares his cake with the other students and eventually with an old blind man. The act of being unselfish made the boy “more glad than if he had eaten ten cakes.”
's fierce pro-French and democratic position. Bache promised that, "This paper will always be open, for the discussion of political, or any other interesting subjects, to such as deliver their sentiments with temper and decency, and whose motives appears to be, the public good." Moreover, Bache made clear that, "The strictest impartiality will be observed in the publication of pieces offered with this view." His paper was first published on October 1, 1790, with the name General Advertiser, and Political, Commercial, Agricultural and Literary Journal. In contrast to other papers, Bache's paper incorporated articles that focused on the sciences, literature, and the useful arts. Since Federalist policies and practices seemed to ignore the fundamental premises of enlightenment egalitarianism, Republicans, like Bache were vociferously anti-Federalist. On January 1, 1791, after three months, Bache dropped the word “Agricultural” from his paper’s full title and removed the motto – “Truth, Decency, Utility” – from the nameplate, and expanded the size of the paper's pages. Bache made clear to his readers that he was unable to offer the variety of material he had originally proposed as long as a “more important matter” was at hand. Later that year, Bache dropped the words “Political, Commercial and Liberty Journal” from the nameplate. The paper became increasingly polemical and promoted reforms in line with republican ideals.
Bache's articles continued to denounce the Federalists and openly denounced both George Washington
and John Adams
. Among Bache's more controversial statements was the suggestion that Washington had secretly collaborated with the British
during the American Revolution
. Bache was subsequently arrested after the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts
, legislation supported by President John Adams
. This law may have been written, at least in part, in response to Bache's statements. The persistent theme of Republican journalism of the 1790s was that the federal government had fallen into the hands of an aristocratic party aligned with Britain; that the Federalists were hostile to the interests of the general public. For Bache, the problem was not so much the form of governance as the beliefs and behavior of those who governed. Bache’s most basic objection to the Senate was that it showed contempt for the public by meeting behind closed doors. As an example of particularly egregious behavior, Bache cited the Senate's secrecy in meeting to consider the Jay Treaty.
In November 1794, Bache again announced that he was renaming his paper. The Aurora and General Advertiser's stated purpose was to “diffuse light within the sphere of its influence, dispel the shades of ignorance, and gloom of error and thus tend to strengthen the fair fabric of freedom on its surest foundation, publicity and information.” The name, “Aurora” represented the ascent and accessibility of information that it promised its readers. With the intent to honor his grandfather, Bache explicitly referred to the sun on the back of Washington’s chair at the Constitutional Convention when he used the motto, “Surgo Ut Prosim,” translated as, “I rise to be useful.” For Bache, the motto symbolized the dawning, not the setting of the sun on the new republic.
Ultimately, Bache’s attacks on the administrations of both Washington and Adams, were met with equal hostility in those publications friendly toward Federalist policies. Lack of support from Jefferson and other Jeffersonians led to financial difficulties for Bache. At one point, Bache had difficulty paying a five-dollar fine, and increasingly was unable to pay his own employees in a timely manner. As a result of his harsh anti-Federalist attacks, many Federalists refused to do business with him. While he acquired several hundred new subscribers in 1798, he encountered problems in collecting payment which further negatively impacted the newspaper’s viability.
Increasingly, Bache became the focus of attacks from other journalists. William Cobbet, known by his pen de plum, Peter Porcupine, wrote malicious descriptions of Bache, and even mocked his dead grandfather. Cobbet's denunciation of Bache was so condemnatory that even Federalists thought Cobbet had gone too far. Yet, Bache paid little attention to what he viewed as amateurish attacks even as his friends became increasingly concerned for his safety.
Bache again found himself in an altercation with the son of someone whom he had publically denounced. Angry at Bache’s attack on John Fenno, Fenno's son demanded that Bache publicly apologize to his father. When Bache’s refused, John Ward Fenno assaulted him. In this instance, Bache fought back. He refused to be intimidated by published and physical attacks. Even the passage of the Alien and Sedition Act, which ultimately landed him in jail, did not stop him from his pursuit. After posting bail, he spent most of his time condemning the Act as a violation of the First Amendment.
at the age of 29 before he was able to stand trial. He was buried in the Christ Church Burial Ground
in Philadelphia. He is regarded by some as an early champion of Freedom of Speech
and the First Amendment
.
Richard Bache
Richard Bache , born in Yorkshire, England, was the son-in-law of Benjamin Franklin. After arriving in Philadelphia from Yorkshire, England, in 1761, Bache prospered as a marine insurance underwriter and importer. In 1767, misfortune struck; debts contracted by him were repudiated by his London...
and Sarah Bache
Sarah Franklin Bache
Sarah Franklin “Sally” Bache was the daughter of Benjamin Franklin and Deborah Read.Known as "Sally" throughout her life, she was an ardent American patriot during the Revolutionary War through relief work and as her father's political hostess...
and the grandson of Benjamin Franklin
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...
, was an American journalist. He headed the openly Jeffersonian publication, the Philadelphia Aurora
Philadelphia Aurora
The Philadelphia Aurora was a triweekly newspaper published in Philadelphia from 1794 to 1824. The paper was founded by Benjamin Franklin Bache, who served as editor until his death in 1798. It is sometimes referred to as the Aurora General Advertiser...
, which is notable for being some of the impulse behind the Alien and Sedition Acts. Bache was often referred to as "Lightning Rod Junior" after his famous grandfather.
Early life
Sarah "Sally" FranklinSarah Franklin Bache
Sarah Franklin “Sally” Bache was the daughter of Benjamin Franklin and Deborah Read.Known as "Sally" throughout her life, she was an ardent American patriot during the Revolutionary War through relief work and as her father's political hostess...
, only daughter of Benjamin Franklin
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...
, met Richard Bache
Richard Bache
Richard Bache , born in Yorkshire, England, was the son-in-law of Benjamin Franklin. After arriving in Philadelphia from Yorkshire, England, in 1761, Bache prospered as a marine insurance underwriter and importer. In 1767, misfortune struck; debts contracted by him were repudiated by his London...
while away from her parents. They were married on November 2, 1767. On August 12, 1769 she gave birth to a son, Benjamin.
From the moment she set eyes on him, Benjamin Franklin Bache’s grandmother, Deborah Read
Deborah Read
Deborah Read Franklin was the spouse of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and a prominent inventor, printer, thinker, and revolutionary.-Life Before Second Marriage:...
, fell in love with her grandson. She called him “her little kingbird,” and saw “Benny,” as she called him, her very own. While Deborah Read and Benjamin Franklin
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...
raised Franklin's illegitimate son, William together, Deborah Read Franklin's only son with her husband, Francis Folger Franklin died from smallpox at the age of four.
Benjamin Franklin Bache was baptized on August 30, 1769 in Christ Church in Philadelphia. His godmothers were his aunt and his grandmother. His godfathers were his uncle and his grandfather, who had a proxy in his place.
On December 19, 1774, young Bache lost his grandmother. Although he was at her funeral, he regretted that he was not at her deathbed. In May 1775, at the age of five, Bache met his grandfather for the first time. His grandfather’s arrival brought more tumult to his home.
On October 29, 1776, accompanying his grandfather on one of his many diplomatic missions, Bache and his cousin, William Temple Franklin
William Temple Franklin
William Temple Franklin was a British-born American diplomat and real estate speculator. He is best known for his involvement with the American diplomatic mission in France during the American Revolutionary War serving as secretary to his grandfather Benjamin Franklin that agreed the...
boarded the USS Reprisal, and sailed for France. Bache settled in Passy, an affluent district of Paris. During his voyage, Bache experienced violent storms, and battles with hostile British ships. Soon after arriving in France, Benjamin Franklin enrolled his grandson in Le Coeur’s, a Parisian boarding school. Bache attended Le Coeur's with other students from Great Britain's North American colonies such as Charles Cochran, his close friend Jesse Deane, and John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
, son of John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
.
Bache was a good student, and won the school prize for translating Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
into French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
at yet another school in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Perhaps due to his grandfather's habit of being away without visiting for long periods of time, Bache was a depressed and shy adolescent. Though sensible and reasonable, those around him observed that oftentimes, he came across as cold, inexpressive, and lacking in imagination.
Printing career
After a few years at Le Coeur’s, Benjamin Franklin began training Bache for a career as a printer-publisher. In the early months at Geneva he was under the care of Philibert Cramer. At the age of 13, he was learning the classics and was already interpreting Telemachus, Terence, Sallust, the orations against Cataline by Cicero, Lucian, and the New Testament in Greek. In 1781, he wrote in his diary of the extensive school work which demanded his time in and out of school.Upon returning to Philadelphia, Bache began working as a printer at his grandfather's old shop, presaging his future career as a newspaper editor. He took lessons for a time under François Didot, a well acknowledged and respected printer. After living abroad, his home town of Philadelphia felt foreign to him.
Bache learned type-founding as an apprentice in Paris to Francois-Ambrose Didot, first printer to print on vellum paper. He saw Didot as the “best printer that now exist and maybe that has ever existed.” Becoming the man he had been raised to be, Bache worked in a shop at the family’s Franklin Court property on Market Street. His grandfather was starting to fade. BFB oversaw the shop’s operations, but under the watchful eye of his grandfather. The first printing Bache was given to do was "An Ode in Imitation of Alcaeus," a poem by linguistic scholar William Jones decrying England’s corruption and the misuse of monarchical power. Bache’s first ventures in commercial publishing were school texts. Bache reprinted Isaiah Thomas’ collection of writing by Aesop and Erasmus. His earlier ventures also included reprinting a series of four Lessons for Children books by Anna Letitia Barbauld, an English woman who used Lockean behavioral techniques of esteem and disgrace to instill wisdom and virtue. The children in Barbauld’s works learned that they were not to cry, mistreat animals, or be idle. One of the story’s is of three boys at a boarding school each receives cakes from home. One of the boys, Harry, greedily eats his cake and becomes sick. The other, Peter, hoards his cake until it becomes stale. The third boy, Billy, shares his cake with the other students and eventually with an old blind man. The act of being unselfish made the boy “more glad than if he had eaten ten cakes.”
Newspaper career
Following his grandfather's death in 1790, Bache inherited Franklin's printing equipment and many of his books, and established The Philadelphia Aurora, which surpassed even Benjamin FranklinBenjamin 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...
's fierce pro-French and democratic position. Bache promised that, "This paper will always be open, for the discussion of political, or any other interesting subjects, to such as deliver their sentiments with temper and decency, and whose motives appears to be, the public good." Moreover, Bache made clear that, "The strictest impartiality will be observed in the publication of pieces offered with this view." His paper was first published on October 1, 1790, with the name General Advertiser, and Political, Commercial, Agricultural and Literary Journal. In contrast to other papers, Bache's paper incorporated articles that focused on the sciences, literature, and the useful arts. Since Federalist policies and practices seemed to ignore the fundamental premises of enlightenment egalitarianism, Republicans, like Bache were vociferously anti-Federalist. On January 1, 1791, after three months, Bache dropped the word “Agricultural” from his paper’s full title and removed the motto – “Truth, Decency, Utility” – from the nameplate, and expanded the size of the paper's pages. Bache made clear to his readers that he was unable to offer the variety of material he had originally proposed as long as a “more important matter” was at hand. Later that year, Bache dropped the words “Political, Commercial and Liberty Journal” from the nameplate. The paper became increasingly polemical and promoted reforms in line with republican ideals.
Bache's articles continued to denounce the Federalists and openly denounced both 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...
and John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
. Among Bache's more controversial statements was the suggestion that Washington had secretly collaborated with the British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Bache was subsequently arrested after the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were four bills passed in 1798 by the Federalists in the 5th United States Congress in the aftermath of the French Revolution's reign of terror and during an undeclared naval war with France, later known as the Quasi-War. They were signed into law by President John Adams...
, legislation supported by President John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
. This law may have been written, at least in part, in response to Bache's statements. The persistent theme of Republican journalism of the 1790s was that the federal government had fallen into the hands of an aristocratic party aligned with Britain; that the Federalists were hostile to the interests of the general public. For Bache, the problem was not so much the form of governance as the beliefs and behavior of those who governed. Bache’s most basic objection to the Senate was that it showed contempt for the public by meeting behind closed doors. As an example of particularly egregious behavior, Bache cited the Senate's secrecy in meeting to consider the Jay Treaty.
In November 1794, Bache again announced that he was renaming his paper. The Aurora and General Advertiser's stated purpose was to “diffuse light within the sphere of its influence, dispel the shades of ignorance, and gloom of error and thus tend to strengthen the fair fabric of freedom on its surest foundation, publicity and information.” The name, “Aurora” represented the ascent and accessibility of information that it promised its readers. With the intent to honor his grandfather, Bache explicitly referred to the sun on the back of Washington’s chair at the Constitutional Convention when he used the motto, “Surgo Ut Prosim,” translated as, “I rise to be useful.” For Bache, the motto symbolized the dawning, not the setting of the sun on the new republic.
Descent
The Aurora filled its papers with regular attacks on what Bache interpreted as Washington’s monarchical tendencies, his hostile actions toward France, contempt for the public, and his friendly relations with Britain. Bache's harangues increased after anti-federalists charged Washington with being too ready to accept public adulation. Bache’s commitment to the “strictest impartiality” were less and less evident as his favorable opinion of Jefferson increased and his hostility towards Adams became more strident. However, Bache was not always as harshly critical of Washington's presidency. Washington had been a frequent visitor at the Franklin family's home. While still a general, Washington enjoyed close relationship with Bache’s grandfather.Ultimately, Bache’s attacks on the administrations of both Washington and Adams, were met with equal hostility in those publications friendly toward Federalist policies. Lack of support from Jefferson and other Jeffersonians led to financial difficulties for Bache. At one point, Bache had difficulty paying a five-dollar fine, and increasingly was unable to pay his own employees in a timely manner. As a result of his harsh anti-Federalist attacks, many Federalists refused to do business with him. While he acquired several hundred new subscribers in 1798, he encountered problems in collecting payment which further negatively impacted the newspaper’s viability.
Increasingly, Bache became the focus of attacks from other journalists. William Cobbet, known by his pen de plum, Peter Porcupine, wrote malicious descriptions of Bache, and even mocked his dead grandfather. Cobbet's denunciation of Bache was so condemnatory that even Federalists thought Cobbet had gone too far. Yet, Bache paid little attention to what he viewed as amateurish attacks even as his friends became increasingly concerned for his safety.
Downfall
Bache’s slow and harrowing downfall occurred one year and a half before he succumbed to the yellow fever that killed him shortly thereafter. In April 1797, while investigating the USS United States, the son of the ship’s architect, Joshua Humphreys, physically assaulted him. As he made his escape, Bache recalled hearing the crowd's hostile remarks that he had deserved the beating. His accusation that ship's carpenters were taking bribes had led to the assault. In May 1798, Bache’s residence and office were threatened by a mob. The glass door leading to his office was smashed, and although his residence was not vandalized, his family was terrified nevertheless.Bache again found himself in an altercation with the son of someone whom he had publically denounced. Angry at Bache’s attack on John Fenno, Fenno's son demanded that Bache publicly apologize to his father. When Bache’s refused, John Ward Fenno assaulted him. In this instance, Bache fought back. He refused to be intimidated by published and physical attacks. Even the passage of the Alien and Sedition Act, which ultimately landed him in jail, did not stop him from his pursuit. After posting bail, he spent most of his time condemning the Act as a violation of the First Amendment.
Death
Bache died from yellow feverYellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
at the age of 29 before he was able to stand trial. He was buried in the Christ Church Burial Ground
Christ Church Burial Ground
Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an important early-American cemetery. It is the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin and his wife, Deborah. Four other signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried here, Dr. Benjamin Rush, Francis Hopkinson, Joseph Hewes...
in Philadelphia. He is regarded by some as an early champion of Freedom of Speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
and the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
.
External links
- Benjamin Franklin Bache at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...