A lokacin da Franklin ya isa Philadelphia a ranar 5 ga Mayu, 1775, bayan aikinsa na biyu zuwa Birtaniya, juyin juya halin Amurka ya fara tare da fada tsakanin masu mulkin mallaka da Birtaniya a Lexington da Concord. 'Yan bindigar New England sun kama babban sojojin Birtaniya a Boston. Majalisar Pennsylvania ta zabi Franklin a matsayin wakilin su a majalisa na biyu na Continental. A watan Yuni 1776, an nada shi memba na Kwamitin Biyar wanda ya rubuta Yarjejeniyar Independence. Ko da yake yana da nakasa na wucin gadi ta hanyar gout kuma ba zai iya halartar yawancin tarurruka na kwamitin ba, Franklin ya yi canje-canje da yawa "kananan amma masu muhimmanci" ga rubutun da Thomas Jefferson ya aiko masa. Tambaya: Yaushe Franklin ya sauka a Philadelphia?
5 ga Mayu, 1775