The Untold Truth Of Silence Dogood

No one knows why Benjamin stopped writing the Dogood letters, but it seemed others started to catch onto his scheme. The Massachusetts Historical Society writes that James and his friends knew Silence Dogood wasn't real, or even a woman. But still, he wanted to know where his famous letter writer was and, he hoped, get the pieces back in his paper.

On December 3, 1722, James ran an ad in the Courant asking for information on Dogood, explains Mass Moments. The announcement prompted Benjamin to finally reveal the truth, both to his brother and to Boston. Readers found it hilarious that a 16-year old boy had skewered Boston society so well. But James was not amused. He told his brother not to let vanity over Dogood's popularity get into his head, and this rivalry created a rift in their relationship. Benjamin left his apprenticeship, without permission from James, and moved to Philadelphia. He opened his own rival newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, which soon became one of the most popular periodicals in the colonies. 

All Benjamin Franklin wanted was to be published in his brother's newspaper. He had to invent an entirely different person to do it and, in the end, it was all worth it. Through the Pennsylvania Gazette, he cemented himself as one of the most famous men in America.