Benjamin Franklin was the ultimate party animal, and the coolest dude to ever come from the colonies. He was so funny and witty, he could make anyone laugh.

One thing that Ben didn’t find funny, however, was the pesky taxes that were imposed on the colonies. But instead of pushing for independence like a total rebel, he wanted to advocate for the colonists before the British Parliament. That was until he got his hands on some juicy gossip.

It all started with a packet of letters from the Governor of Massachusetts, Thomas Hutchinson, and his lieutenant, Andrew Oliver. Franklin was horrified to learn that these guys were actually against the colonists’ demands for equal rights with the British. They even suggested that more British troops be sent over to quash the unrest. How rude!

Franklin realized that these letters were misleading the entire British Parliament, and he was not about to let that slide. He sent the letters overseas to the speaker of the Massachusetts assembly, Thomas Cushing, with strict instructions to keep it hush-hush.

At first, Cushing was good about keeping his lips sealed, but he couldn’t resist the urge to talk about it with his buddy, Samuel Adams. And like any good gossip, it spread like wildfire. The letters were eventually published in the Boston Gazette, causing mass hysteria amongst the colonists.

This led to angry demonstrations and riots, demanding that the governor gets the boot. The whole ordeal eventually led to the Boston Tea Party, where a bunch of radicals threw British tea into the harbor. Talk about a party!

Meanwhile, in London, everybody was trying to figure out who the leaker was. It wasn’t long before Charles Whately pointed the finger at John Temple, a customs officer. And like any good dueling gentlemen, the two men had a showdown in the rain, which included a lot of sword-swinging in the mud. It was almost comical, really.

But Benjamin Franklin, being the ultimate bro that he was, decided to take the fall for everything. He was just trying to show the colonists and the Parliament that they had more in common than they thought. He was just trying to help! Unfortunately, the solicitor general was not amused and fired him from his post.

So, after all was said and done, Franklin returned to the colonies in March 1774. The whole affair didn’t really change anybody’s mind, except for Franklin’s. He was officially #TeamIndependence. Party on!

Serious News: washingtonpost