Benjamin Franklin

Official Trailer
31s

Ken Burns explores the revolutionary life of Benjamin Franklin.

Behind the Scenes | Exploring Benjamin Franklin
2m 2s

Get an inside look from Ken Burns on the making of Benjamin Franklin.

Benjamin Franklin and Inoculation
6m 9s

This extended scene from BENJAMIN FRANKLIN includes bonus material not in the final film.

Benjamin Franklin House in London
5m 15s

This bonus scene features Benjamin Franklin House in London, his only surviving residence.

Benjamin Franklin’s Theory of Colds
3m 3s

Franklin and Adams have to share a bedroom in a humorous scene not in the final film.

An American Celebrity in France
4m 37s

Benjamin Franklin arrived in France, hoping to win French support for the Revolution.

Benjamin Franklin Invents the Glass Armonica
1m 55s

Franklin’s musical invention, the armonica, became a sensation in Europe.

Compromise and the Constitution of the United States
6m 36s

As impasse threatened the Constitutional Convention, Franklin appealed for Compromise.

Franklin and Adams: Rivals on the Same Diplomatic Mission
4m 3s

Franklin and Adams frustrated each other in France with opposing approaches to diplomacy.

Franklin and Slave Labor
1m 49s

Enslaved Philadelphia residents worked in businesses and homes, including Franklin’s.

Franklin and the Antislavery Movement
7m 5s

Late in life, Franklin petitioned Congress to end slavery in the United States.

Franklin Faces His Racial Prejudices
1m 58s

A visit to a school for Black children challenged Franklin’s racial prejudices.

Franklin Hears About Washington’s Victory at Yorktown
2m 39s

A month after the end of the battle, Franklin finally got the news from Yorktown.

Franklin Makes a Name for Himself as a Printer
3m 53s

Franklin’s first published essays were printed under a pseudonym—SIlence Dogood.

Franklin’s Endlessly Quotable Poor Richard’s Almanack
4m 37s

Franklin’s popular "Poor Richard’s Almanack" offered an enduring brand of American humor.

Franklin’s Observations and Experiments on Electricity
5m 31s

Franklin studied electricity and proved lightning’s electrical nature with a key and kite.

Publicly Humiliated in London
6m 2s

Franklin, the most famous American in London, became the face of American resistance.

The Declaration of Independence
3m 17s

Franklin made a pivotal edit to Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence.

The Franklins Choose Opposing Sides in the Revolution
2m 26s

The American Revolution tore families apart, including the Franklins.

The Stamp Act
3m 46s

In 1765, England found a new way to raise money from the American colonies: The Stamp Act.

The Treaty of Paris, 1783
4m 20s

The Treaty of Paris ended a war, secured Independence and created an Empire.