In 1775 Franklin traveled to Canada in a vain effort to enlist the support of Canada in the revolution. He was a member of the committee chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence and was one of the signers of that historic document. He was also chosen to help seek assistance from France. Extremely popular in French circles, Franklin secured aid and concessions that represented the turning point of the American Revolution. He was appointed by Congress as the first minister plenipotentiary from the United States to France.
In 1781 Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay were appointed to conclude a peace treaty with Great Britain. The final treaty was signed at Versailles on September 3, 1783. In 1785 Franklin returned to Philadelphia, where he became president of the Pennsylvania executive council (1785-1787). In 1787 he was elected a delegate to the convention that drew up the Constitution of the United States. One of his last public acts was to sign a petition to the Congress of the United States in 1790 urging the abolition of slavery.