“He’s alive!” one Allegheny student yelled across campus when he saw Benjamin Franklin walking toward the Campus Center Sept. 14. Another yelled, “Thanks for the electricity, Ben!”
This Ben Franklin, of course, was much more spry than the real Ben Franklin, who signed the United States Constitution 223 years ago this month. Portrayed by Paul Stillman of Historically Speaking, Cameron Mills, N.Y., “Franklin” charmed his way through McKinley’s dining room and then took center stage in the Campus Center lobby for a noontime event sponsored by the Center for Political Participation.
Stillman, who stayed in character during the hour-long presentation, told the crowd gathered in the lobby, “Putting this Constitution together was the most important thing this country could do.” He called himself “the babysitter of the Constitution,” referring to the frequent disagreements that erupted during its drafting.
The audience–consisting of residents from the surrounding community as well as Allegheny faculty and students–asked questions on everything from slavery to women’s rights to Native American history. Associate Professor of Political Science Brian Harward asked Franklin if he thought the Constitution would be different if it hadn’t been debated behind closed doors.
“Yes, it would have been different,” Franklin answered. “I wanted it to be more open.”
Another student asked Franklin why he opposed the Bill of Rights. “I was against it,” Franklin said, “because there were too many loopholes in it.”
Franklin also defended his anti-slavery stance, and commented that he would have wanted Congressional term limits. “I thought there should be limits of 10 to 12 years,” he explained.
Near the end, Katie Janocscko, a CPP fellow, asked Franklin what he thought his greatest invention was. He quickly responded, with a wink, “The hot tub.”
Freshman Lauryn Reiff was happy that the CPP sponsored the re-enactment event. She explained, “I’m mildly obsessed with the American Revolution, so I’ve been looking forward to this since the posters went up.” And Gary Young of nearby Guys Mills, Pa., enjoyed the repartee with Stillman before and after the presentation.
“I wanted to see the students and how they reacted,” Young said. “If they come to understand what he has to say, that’s great. If you don’t understand history, you’re doomed.”