Rules by Which a Great Empire May be Reduced to a Small One

The Oxford Companion to American Literature | 1995 | 700+ words | Copyright

Rules by Which a Great Empire May be Reduced to a Small One, satirical essay by Franklin, published in the Public Advertiser (London, Sept. 1773).

In this popular hoax, Franklin ironically assumes that the minister to whom his rules are addressed wishes to reduce the extensive dominions that he must govern. The rules that he offers as solutions of this problem contain actual grievances of the American colonies against the mother country, e.g. don't send wise or good governors, don't hesitate to impose heavy taxes, don't fail to perplex colonial commerce with infinite regulations, don't notice petitions, don't treat the colonists except as though they were about to revolt. He blandly affirms that close adherence to such rules will assuredly have the desired result of losing the colonies.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Rules by Which a Great Empire May be Reduced to a Small One." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Rules by Which a Great Empire May be Reduced to a Small One." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-RlsbyWhchGrtmprMybRdcdtSm.html

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Rules by Which a Great Empire May be Reduced to a Small One." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-RlsbyWhchGrtmprMybRdcdtSm.html

Learn more about citation styles