Originally posted by Nygdan
Ben Franklin could've been a member of the actual Bavarian Illuminati tho no? At least in so far as having co existed with them? The Illuminati
seemd to think in terms similar to the Founders.
According to Weishaupt's autobiography, he based the Illuminati loosely on what little he knew about the Sons of Liberty, of which Franklin was a
member. The major difference was that the Sons were combatting Tories, while the Illuminati were concerned with fighting against the Jesuits. After
the Illuminati went defunct, Weishaupt wrote of his co-members, and most of the more prominent members also wrote about their experiences in the
Illuminati. It doesn't seem that the Illuminati ever expanded outside Bavaria, or cared to, and its members were practically all German.
I know that none of them are supposed to have been members, but, it woud certainly have been interesting if the Sons of Liberty and Illuminati
had at least made some contacts.
That much is possible, and perhaps even likely. Thomas Jefferson publicly defended the Illuminati, and Weishaupt in particular. It is believed that
Frederick the Great helped the Illuminati out by loaning them money, and at least some of our forefathers may have done the same. They would no doubt
have liked to have seen a similar revolution on the Continent as they were leading in the Colonies.