Benjamin Franklin Left Two Cities an Unconventional Gift That Grew for 200 Years
A portrait of Benjamin Franklin, c. 1785. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Benjamin Franklin’s legacy can be traced throughout American history, from the institutions he helped establish to the inventions and ideas that continue to bear his name. However, one of his most remarkable contributions was designed to unfold long after his lifetime.
Franklin allocated £1,000 to Boston, where he was born, and another £1,000 to Philadelphia, where he spent much of his adult life. Rather than treating the bequest as a conventional charitable donation, the cities had to wait 200 years before they could fully use it…