In 1776, he was part of the five-member committee that helped draft the Declaration of Independence, in which the 13 American colonies declared their freedom from British rule. That same year, Congress sent Franklin<span> to France to enlist that nation's help with the </span>Revolutionary War<span>.
His policy was more on the defensive side than offensive. The Marshall is an example of this because it shows how he used the economy to 'take care' of other countries.