Chapter Thirteen Summary and Analysis

Chapter thirteen takes place in Paris from 1776-1778. The winter crossing is rough for Franklin, so he and the boys get off the ship as soon as they see land and take a carriage to Paris. He tries to remain anonymous, but his fame in France makes it impossible. America needs France's aid to win the war and Franklin plays his role as diplomat perfectly. The French love him and try to trace his ancestry back to France, though many mistake him for a Quaker. In fact, his rustic look is part of a political costume: the fur cap is a sign of wisdom. Franklin lives in the village of Passy, which becomes America's first foreign embassy. Madame Chaumont hosts him and Temple is his aid. Silas Deane and Arthur Lee are Franklin's commissioners, the first a corrupt accountant...