Editing Benjamin Franklins Philadelphia (section)

== Legacy ==

Franklin left Philadelphia for diplomatic service in London (1757-1775) and Paris (1776-1785), but the city he shaped remained the capital of his legacy. When he returned in 1785, Philadelphia was on the verge of hosting the Constitutional Convention, at which the aged Franklin would serve as Pennsylvania's leading delegate. He died in 1790, mourned as the most famous American of his era and buried in Christ Church Burial Ground at 5th and Arch Streets, where visitors still toss pennies onto his grave for luck. His funeral procession drew an estimated 20,000 people—the largest gathering Philadelphia had ever seen.<ref name="morgan"/>

The institutions Franklin founded or inspired continue to shape Philadelphia. The University of Pennsylvania, the Library Company, the American Philosophical Society, the Pennsylvania Hospital, and numerous other organizations trace their origins to his vision and energy. Franklin Court, a National Park Service site at 316 Market Street, marks the location of his home and includes a museum devoted to his life and achievements. His image appears throughout the city, from the statue on the University of Pennsylvania campus to the portrait in Independence Hall where he signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. More than two centuries after his death, Franklin remains Philadelphia's most famous citizen, the embodiment of the civic spirit and practical wisdom that characterized the city's colonial golden age.<ref name="weigley">{{cite book |last=Weigley |first=Russell F. |title=Philadelphia: A 300-Year History |year=1982 |publisher=W.W. Norton |location=New York}}</ref>