Just how personal was the American Revolution?
What could the event and war mean for individual people and families?
Daniel Mark Epstein, author of The Loyal Son: The War in Ben Franklin’s House, guides us as we explore what the Revolution meant for Benjamin Franklin and his family and how the Revolution caused a major rift between Franklin and his beloved son, William.
About the Show
Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.
It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.
Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.
Ben Franklin’s World is a production of the Omohundro Institute.
Episode Summary
Daniel Mark Epstein, author of The Loyal Son: The War in Ben Franklin’s House, guides us as we explore what the revolution meant for Benjamin Franklin and his family and how the Revolution caused a major rift between Franklin and his beloved son, William.
As we take a look inside Ben Franklin’s family life, Daniel reveals details about the lives of Benjamin and William Franklin; the close relationship father and son shared before the American Revolution; and details about how the Revolution shattered the close ties once enjoyed between the Franklin men.
What You’ll Discover
- Benjamin Franklin
- William Franklin
- Deborah Read Franklin
- The circumstances of William Franklin’s birth & childhood
- Benjamin Franklin as a father
- William Franklin’s childhood
- Benjamin Franklin as Pennsylvania Militia leader
- Politics and war in colonial Pennsylvania
- The Penn Family
- Benjamin and William Franklin in London
- William Franklin as Royal Governor of New Jersey
- Benjamin and William Franklin’s diverging views on politics
- How William Franklin’s tenure as governor of New Jersey ended
- William Franklin’s imprisonment in Connecticut
- Relationship between Benjamin and William Franklin during the Revolution
- Post-Revolution interactions between Benjamin and William Franklin
Links to People, Places, and Publications
Sponsor Links
Complementary Episodes
- Episode 001: James Green, The Library Company of Philadelphia
- Episode 022: Vivian Bruce Conger, Deborah Read Franklin & Sally Franklin Bache
- Episode 031: Benjamin Franklin and the Papers of Benjamin Franklin
- Episode 086: George Goodwin, Benjamin Franklin in London
- Episode 123: Revolutionary Allegiances
- Episode 138: Patrick Spero, Frontier Politics in Early America
- Episode 169: Thomas Kidd, The Religious Life of Benjamin Franklin
Time Warp Question
In your opinion, what might have happened if Benjamin and William Franklin and supported the same side during the American Revolution? Which side do you think they would have supported and how might the history of the Revolution have been different?
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