Benjamin Franklin's Alter Egos: A History of Satirical Personas

A Smithsonian magazine special report for 'America at 250: The Revolutionary Spark' explores Benjamin Franklin's use of authorial personas. Franklin created his first alter ego as a teenager: Silence Dogood, a middle-aged widow, to evade his brother James's embargo. Later personas included Polly Baker, a woman prosecuted for fornication; Richard Saunders, publisher of Poor Richard's Almanack; Americanus, who satirized British plans to send felons to America; Benevolus, who argued against British taxation; and Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim of Algiers, who justified slavery to mock apologists. Franklin's personas allowed him to challenge authority and promote progress. The article also notes Franklin's charting of the Gulf Stream in 1769 with Captain Timothy Folger.