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Benjamin Franklin delivered the quote, “A republic, if you can keep it,” in September 1787 at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia
. The quote was a response to a question posed by Elizabeth Willing Powel, a prominent Philadelphia socialite and the wife of the city’s mayor.
The context of the exchange
- The setting: As the delegates exited the Pennsylvania State House after signing the U.S. Constitution, a crowd gathered outside.
- The question: Elizabeth Powel reportedly asked Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”.
- Franklin’s answer: His famous reply highlighted the fragility of the new form of government and the responsibility that would fall to the citizens to maintain it.
The historical record of the quote
- The exchange was recorded in the journal of James McHenry, a Maryland delegate to the Constitutional Convention.
- McHenry’s notes were not published until 1803, and the anecdote did not become widely known until the 20th century.
- An extended version of the story suggests that when Powel asked Franklin, “And why not keep it?”, he replied, “Because the people, on tasting the dish, are always disposed to eat more of it than does them good”.
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