Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was an American scientist, inventor, author, diplomat, philosopher, statesman, and philanderer. He served on the First and Second Continental Congresses and, with John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, co-authored the Declaration of Independence. During the American Revolution, he negotiated an alliance with France that won the US recognition and military aid from that country. He also participated in the Constitutional Convention in which the US Constitution was written.

In Southern Victory
A profile view of Franklin's face was printed on stamps issued in occupied Canada during and after the Great War.

Flora Hamburger once quoted Franklin's warning "Those who would trade essential liberty for a little temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security" in a floor debate in the House of Representatives--which, incidentally, met in Franklin's own Liberty Hall.