The Printer and the Preacher : Ben Franklin, George Whitefield, and the Surprising Friendship That Invented America

The true story of a friendship between two very different men: Founding Father Ben Franklin and famed preacher of the Great Awakening George Whitefield.They were the most famous men in America. They came from separate countries, followed different philosophies, and led dissimilar lives. But they were fast friends. No two people did more to shape America in the mid-1700s.Benjamin Franklin was the American prototype: hard-working, inventive, practical, funny, with humble manners and lofty dreams. George Whitefield was the most popular preacher in an era of great piety, whose outdoor preaching across the colonies was heard by thousands, all of whom were told, “You must be born again.” People became excited about God. They began reading the Bible and supporting charities. When Whitefield died in 1770, on a preaching tour in New Hampshire, he had built a spiritual foundation for a new nation—just as his surviving friend, Ben Franklin, had built its social foundation. Together these two men helped establish a new nation founded on liberty. This is the story of their amazing friendship. One Was A Media Mogul, The Other A Celebrity Evangelist. The First Championed Personal Responsibility. The Second Preached Salvation By Grace. Both Worked Their Way From Obscurity, Breaking Down Barriers To Become The Most Famous Men In America. Benjamin Franklin And George Whitefield Were Born On Opposite Sides Of The Atlantic, Yet Their Decades-long Friendship Propelled Them And Their Ideas To Change The Fabric Of America's Values: Minimizing Class, Denomination, And Location While Magnifying The Individual. A Biography Of Either Legend Would Have Plenty Of Dramatic Material, From London's Theater Scene To Philadelphia's Halls Of Government. Yet Here Randy Petersen Adds Something More. He Gives Context For The Events, Weaving The Two Men's Stories To Reveal How Each Changed The Other -- And How Both Ultimately Affected All Of Us. - Jacket Flap. The Friendship That Invented America -- England And America -- The Inn And The Candle Shop -- Casting Characters -- The City Of Brotherly Love -- Hoodwinked -- Next Stage: England -- The Play's The Thing -- The Education Of George Whitefield -- The Continuing Education Of Ben Franklin -- Boy, Interrupted -- The Leather Aprons And The Bible Moths -- Conversion -- A Better Place -- Doppelgängers -- Georgia On My Mind -- Face To Face -- Cooling Off -- The Awakeners -- Love, Mabye -- Fireside Chats -- The Arc Of Friendship -- Death And Taxes -- Special Effects. Randy Petersen. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 263-266) And Index. -- They were the most famous men in America.? They came from separate countries, followed different philosophies, and led dissimilar lives. But they were fast friends. No two people did more to shape America in the mid-1700s. Benjamin Franklin was the American prototype: hard-working, inventive, practical, funny, with humble manners and lofty dreams. George Whitefield was the most popular preacher in an era of great piety, whose outdoor preaching across the colonies was heard by thousands, all of whom were told, ?You must be born again.? People became excited about God. They began reading the Bible and supporting charities. When Whitefield died in 1770, on a preaching tour in New Hampshire, he had built a spiritual foundation for a new nation?just as his surviving friend, Ben Franklin, had built its social foundation. Together these two men helped establish a new nation founded on liberty. This is the story of their amazing friendship The friendship that invented America England and America The inn and the candle shop Casting characters The city of brotherly love Hoodwinked Next stage : England The play's the thing The education of George Whitefield The continuing education of Ben Franklin Boy, interrupted The leather aprons and the Bible moths Conversion A better place Doppelgängers Georgia on my mind Face to face Cooling off The awakeners Love, mabye Fireside chats The arc of friendship Death and taxes Special effects Appendixes. Before they met George Whitefield's amazing American tour Encounters About the author A groundbreaking look at the strange friendship between George Whitefield and Benjamin Franklin, who together defined what it means to be an American.