023.Benjamin Franklin Studied Chinese silkworm

Benjamin Franklin knew that Chinese silkworms could produce fabric without using many resources.

http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/exp_worldly_china.html

022.Benjamin Franklin studied the Chinese technology in ship building

In the following a person talked about a little bit Franklin's borrowing from China the ship building technologies.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070319183954AAZJ0Cz

021.Franklin created the scene of US-China Trade

The following original document will introduce you to Franklin's vision on the trade between the United States and China. Compared Franklin's vision with today's huge volume of the trade between the two countries, you will be impressed great by Franklin's great vision.http://www.historycarper.com/resources/twobf3/whale.htm

020.Benjamin Franklin talked about Chinese Paper

Benjamin Franklin thought of the ideas to make large paper in the Chinese manner. Please find more information from the following original document.


http://205.247.101.31:2005/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/SLP2005001&CISOPTR=921&REC=15

019.Benjamin Franklin Reported the Discovery of the Famous Chinese Ginseng

In 1744 Franklin sent twice some specemen of the famous Chinese Ginseng to his friends in Boston. Having heard nothing back, he sent a letter to his parents on September 6, 1744. The fact tells, Franklin had by then learned that Ginseng was an important commercial product highly demanded in China.

We know that Gensing played a significant role in the start of the trade between the fledgling United States and China. The Empress of China, supported, organized and opperated by the American fighters in the Revolutionary War sailed from New York to Canton on Februay 22, 1784 with a load of Gensing. The sail opened the relations between the two nations.

The following is the quote from Benjamin Franklin letter to Abiah Franklin, 6 September 1744;

"He would be glad of a Correspondence with some Gentlemen of the same Taste with you; and has twice thro’ my Hands sent Specimens of the famous Chinese Ginseng, found here, to Persons who desired it in Boston neither of whom have had the Civility to write him a Word in Answer, even to acknowledge the Receipt of it; of which please to give a Hint to Br. John."

Franklin also pointed out that the American Ginseng could be used to develop the trade between China and North American colonies.

018.Benjamin Franklin and Chinese Kite

Everyone of us knows a little bit about the story that Franklin used the Kite to induce electricity. The following link will give you more information about the kite;

http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2002/04/040802_kites.jhtml

017.St Johsn University's Conference on US-China Relations

Dr. Dave Wang talked about Benjamin Franklin's efforts at promoting people in North America to improve their virtures through learning Confucius Moral philosophy. Please find the information through the following link:

http://www.stjohns.edu/faculty/pr_uni_060914b.sju

016.Benjamin Franklin was fascinated by the Chinese

Franklin never visisted China, who stated that if he were young he would visit China. He was fascinated with Chinese civilization. Find more through the followin link:

http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/exp_worldly_china.html

015.The information on the Exhibitioin: Benjamin Franklin and China

This is the introduction to the exhibtion, Benjamin Franklin and China. Alghough the exhibtion is over, one still can learn the basic content of the it through this link.

014.Dr. Wang's Paper Benjamin Franklin and China

The following link will take you to read the paper published on the official website, The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary.


http://www.benfranklin300.com/_etc_pdf/franklinchina.pdf

013. Benjamin Franklin Regarded Confucius Highly

I have to agree with Dr. Dave Wang's solid judgment that Benjamin Franklin loved Confucius moral philosophy. With this post, I would like to show you a quote from Benjamin Franklin. In 1749 Franklin wrote an very important letter to George Whitefield (1714-1770) , a leader of the American Great Wakening, declaring that he regarded Confucius moral philosophy is universal. The philosophy belongs to not only China, but the whole world also. The entire human beings can benefit from Confucius's teaching.

012.Benjamin Franklin is loved in China

I have found that Benjamin Franklin is very popular in China nowadays. Even Amazon.com sells Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography's Chinese version. Actually, in any large bookstore in Chinese cities, one can find several versions of Ben's book on display. You also can find several Ben’s biographies by Chinese authors. This is an indicator that Chinese love Ben.

011.Dr. Skousen Talks about Benjamin Franklin's Attitude toward China

Dr. Mark Skousen, a well-known economist and writer, and also the eighth generation of Benjamin Franklin's descendents, has pointed out in his widely read blog that Benjamin Franklin "had a very positive attitudes towards Chinese Civilization." You can read his "Interview with Franklin" through this link.

010. China's interest in Benjamin Franklin

Under the request of the staff from Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, I have bought over ten copies of books on Benjamin Franklin published in Chinese. In this acquisition process I have surprisingly learned that Benjamin Franklin has become very popular in China. Walking through a bookstore in Beijing, China, one will find several copies of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Ben’s book has been translated into Chinese long time ago. You can tell that Chinese readers still want to draw positive lessons from Benjamin Franklin.

009.Benjamin Franklin and Chinese Plants

From Dr. Dave Wang's paper, Benjamin Franklin and China we have learned that Franklin worked hard to transplant Chinese plants to North America in order to facilitate the agricultural development. With this post I introduce you some information on Franklin's efforts to transplant Soybeans to North America. In 1770, Franklin sent seeds from London to the botanist John Bartram (1699-1777). Bartram planted them in his garden which was situated on the west bank of the Schuykill River below Philadelphia. More information is available from this link.

008. The US Founders and China

At a meeting organized by the Committee of 100, Bill Moyers addressed the History of Chinese in America. In his speech, he told his audience that James Madison (1751-1836) wanted to learn Chinese agricultural techniques. James Monroe (1758-11831)and Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)“admired China's political disengagement as a mark of superiority and independence.” The colonists, including George Washington (1732-1799), in North America, “prized Chinese wallpaper, silk canopies, vases, and lacquered screens.” Washington bought many porcelain dinner wares from China traders in his life. You can access his speech from this link.

007.Benjamin Franklin on China

Benjamin Franklin marveled at China’s capability to cloth “its inhabitants with silk.” He told in 1769 Cadwalader Evans (1716-1773), "Hence it is that the most populous of all Countries, China, clothes its Inhabitants with Silk, while it feeds them plentifully and has besides a vast Quantity both of raw and manufactured to spare for Exportation."
With the more posts of Dr. Wang's research of Ben Franklin, you will find out that Franklin even upheld the Chinese civilization as a model for the new country. He told his fellow colonists, "Could we be so fortunate as to introduce the industry of the Chinese, their arts of living and improvements in husbandry, America might become in time as populous as China."

006. Benjamin Franklin and China: Northeast Times

Dr. Wang's exhibition, Benjamin Franklin and China has attracted attention from national and local newspapers. The local Newspaper, Northeast Times also promoted his Exhibition. Please find its introduction to the exhibition through this link.

005. Benjamin Franklin and China: The Exhibition

Dr. Dave Wang, Manager of Queens Library at Hollis, created the exhibition on Benjamin Franklin and China. The exhibition will be open to the public from January 1, 2006 to June 30, 2006. Seattle Times, one of the nation's main newspapers introduces the exhibition to its readers. You can find the introduction to this excellent display of Benjamin Franklin's connection to China and his efforts to draw nourishments from Chinese culture through this link.

004. Benjamin Franklin and Confucius Moral Philosophy

In October 2006, invited by the Italian National Center for American Studies at Rome and several other main Italian Universities, Dr. Dave Wang presented Benjamin Franklin and Confucius Moral Philosophy. The center designed a very beatiful poster for the event.

003.Benjamin Franklin and Confucius Moral Philosophy

According to Dr. Dave Wang, Benjamin Franklin loved Confucius moral philosophy and worked to use it to correct some wrong doings in the colonies. Franklin also used the philosophy as guidance to his own moral purification drive.

Dr. Dave Wang delivered a lecture on Benjamin Franklin and Confucius moral philosophy at St. Johns University. You can find basic introduction to his lecture through this link.

002.Benjamin Franklin and China

2006 marks the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). In order to order to celebrate this great event, the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission was established by an Act of Congress in 2002 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin’s birth in 2006. George W. Bush, the President of the United States, served as Honorary Chairman and made six appointments to the Commission. Leaders of Congress appointed another eight of the fifteen members.

Thanks to the official website of the commission, we can enjoy Dr. Wang's paper, "Benjamin Franklin and China - A Survey of Benjamin Franklin's Efforts at Drawing Positive Elements from Chinese Civilization during the Formative Age of the United States" (PDF)

001.The Founding Fathers and Chinese Civilization

Everything has a beginning. Dr. Dave Wang's study of the topic started 10 years ago when he was working on his dissertation. One day in the main library he opened the Papers of Benjamin Franklin and found surprisingly Franklin's interests in China. He almost couldn't believe his eyes. Taking off his eye-glasses, he read it over again. It was unbelievable that Franklin told his friend that he would go to China if he were young.

With this weblog I would like to introduce you Dr. Dave Wang's examination of efforts of the founders of the United States, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. With h great vision of building a new nation in North America they made their efforts to draw nourishments from traditional Chinese civilization. I will show you Dr. Dave Wang's papers, speeches and some other information related to the topic.