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A History | The Hutchinson Letters Affair
The Hutchinson Letters Affair
The Hutchinson Letters Affair began in December, 1772 when Ben Franklin
anonymously received a packet of letters. The letters were written to the British government by Thomas
Hutchinson, the royal Governor of Massachusetts. In the letters, Hutchinson urged his superiors to send
more troops to Boston to fight the American rebels. Ben felt that his friends in Boston should know what
Hutchinson was planning. He allowed his American friends and colleagues to read the letters on the
condition that they not be circulated or published. However, the content of the letters did get published
in the Boston Gazette in June of 1773.
The citizens of Boston were furious and forced Hutchinson to flee to England. The British government
demanded to know who leaked the letters. In December of 1773, three innocent men were accused. In order to
protect them, Ben admitted his guilt. As a result, Ben's reputation in England suffered. In January of 1774,
Ben was publicly reprimanded. Later that year, Ben left England and returned to America to help write the
Declaration of Independence.
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