Behind the Scenes | Exploring Benjamin Franklin
Get an inside look from Ken Burns on the making of Benjamin Franklin.
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Behind the Scenes | Exploring Benjamin Franklin
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Get an inside look from Ken Burns on the making of Benjamin Franklin.
Get an inside look from Ken Burns and those featured in the film on why they chose to explore the life of Benjamin Franklin.
From
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Corporate funding for BENJAMIN FRANKLIN was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by David M. Rubenstein. Major funding was also provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the...
Behind the Scenes | Exploring Benjamin Franklin
Clip | 2m 2sVideo has Closed Captions
Get an inside look from Ken Burns and those featured in the film on why they chose to explore the life of Benjamin Franklin.
From
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
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Benjamin Franklin is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
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The Treaty of Paris ended a war, secured Independence and created an Empire. (4m 20s)
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In 1765, England found a new way to raise money from the American colonies: The Stamp Act. (3m 46s)
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Franklin, the most famous American in London, became the face of American resistance. (6m 2s)
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Ken Burns explores the revolutionary life of Benjamin Franklin. (31s)
Franklin’s Observations and Experiments on Electricity
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Franklin studied electricity and proved lightning’s electrical nature with a key and kite. (5m 31s)
Franklin’s Endlessly Quotable Poor Richard’s Almanack
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Franklin’s popular "Poor Richard’s Almanack" offered an enduring brand of American humor. (4m 37s)
The Franklins Choose Opposing Sides in the Revolution
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The American Revolution tore families apart, including the Franklins. (2m 26s)
Franklin Makes a Name for Himself as a Printer
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Franklin’s first published essays were printed under a pseudonym—Silence Dogood. (3m 53s)
Franklin Hears About Washington’s Victory at Yorktown
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A month after the end of the battle, Franklin finally got the news from Yorktown. (2m 39s)
Franklin Faces His Racial Prejudices
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A visit to a school for Black children challenged Franklin’s racial prejudices. (1m 58s)
Franklin and the Antislavery Movement
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Late in life, Franklin petitioned Congress to end slavery in the United States. (7m 5s)
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Enslaved Philadelphia residents worked in businesses and homes, including Franklin’s. (1m 49s)
Franklin and Adams: Rivals on the Same Diplomatic Mission
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Franklin and Adams frustrated each other in France with opposing approaches to diplomacy. (4m 3s)
The Declaration of Independence
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Franklin made a pivotal edit to Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. (3m 17s)
Compromise and the Constitution of the United States
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As impasse threatened the Constitutional Convention, Franklin appealed for Compromise. (6m 36s)
Benjamin Franklin’s Theory of Colds
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Franklin and Adams have to share a bedroom in a humorous scene not in the final film. (3m 3s)
Benjamin Franklin Invents the Glass Armonica
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Franklin’s musical invention, the armonica, became a sensation in Europe. (1m 55s)
Benjamin Franklin House in London
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This bonus scene features Benjamin Franklin House in London, his only surviving residence. (5m 15s)
Benjamin Franklin and Inoculation
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This extended scene from BENJAMIN FRANKLIN includes bonus material not in the final film. (6m 9s)
Now PlayingBehind the Scenes | Exploring Benjamin Franklin
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Get an inside look from Ken Burns on the making of Benjamin Franklin. (2m 2s)
An American Celebrity in France
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Benjamin Franklin arrived in France, hoping to win French support for the Revolution. (4m 37s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
Corporate funding for BENJAMIN FRANKLIN was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by David M. Rubenstein. Major funding was also provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the...