In 1753, Benjamin Franklin was honored in England with the Copley Medal, which is considered equal to the present-day Nobel Prize. He was also invited to join the British Royal Society and was given honorary degrees from several prestigious European colleges. When he traveled to France in 1776, Franklin was met with much fanfare. His posters were everywhere and poems were written to honor him. The second American president, John Adams, noted that at the time Franklin had become more popular than Sir Isaac Newton or Voltaire.
The Europeans perceived Benjamin Franklin in the eighteenth century as brilliant man with much potential. The French admired him for his success and for being a great diplomat in his time. He was awarded in London for his efforts in bill taxing.
