Benjamin Franklin and All His Witty Remarks: A Critical Edition of Three of Benjamin Franklin's Writings

Note on the Text

                        The following texts, Benjamin Franklin’s “A Witch Trial at Mount Holly,” originally posted in The Pennsylvania Gazette, on October 22, 1730, “The Way to Wealth,” and “Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America,” were all imported from Yale University’s The Papers of Benjamin Franklin online edition. This project conducted by Yale has been in the making since 1888. The Yale Project was formally created in 1954 by Yale University and the American Philosophical Society, both reputable organizations. Rare books, pamphlets, letter correspondences as well as second or third copies of some of Franklin’s texts can be found in the collection held, restored, and edited by Yale. Using this source was the best option when creating a critical edition of the three texts written above because of its authenticity and the fact that they have one of the best and most extensive collections of all of Franklin’s work. Although it is hard to say where the original holographs of these texts are, it is safe to say the copies from Yale are as authentic as is currently accessible online.  

            In this critical edition you will find that very few emendations were made. In all three texts chosen, only spelling was updated. Grammar and capitalizations were left in their original format for authenticity’s sake. Spelling was corrected and modernized, however, to make the flow of reading these texts easier. These emendations will allow for readers who have less experience with older spelling styles be able to read and understand all pieces of these texts. Understanding the texts better will also allow readers to more easily pick up on the satirical style used by Benjamin Franklin.
 

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