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Benjamin Franklin, Ken Burns' latest documentary, is an insightful look at the life and times of the enigmatic ground-breaking inventor, whose work unlocked the mystery of electricity and helped mold the United States as a nation-state.
The two-part, four-hour documentary is an exploration of the remarkable life of Franklin, who was undoubtedly one of 18th century's most consequential and compelling personalities, having taken the world by storm with his enigma.
Who is Benjamin Franklin?
Benjamin Franklin remains one of the most influential personalities in the world of governance, science, religion and even literature. Throughout his life of 84 years, Franklin brought momentous change in these fields and even vowed to make a lifelong commitment to societal and self-improvement. Born to working class parents, the man broke all barriers and ascended professional and social ladders to become the most popular man in Paris, France.
Despite the success, Franklin’s life was full of contradictions, and his success came at a cost. His achievements brought him worldwide acclaim but he drifted away from his family. He was even disreputed for owning slaves at a particular point in his life.
Although Franklin denounced colonizers who killed natives indiscriminately, he also championed the cause of the expansion of white settlements onto indigenous lands. He was a big force that propelled the expansion of the British Empire, but also dedicated himself to America’s independence.
About Ken Burn's documentary
In Ken Burns' documentary, Franklin is voiced by Mandy Patinkin. Paul Giamatti, the actor who played John Adams in HBO’s John Adams, will voice Adams.
The first part follows Franklin leaving behind his Boston childhood to reinvent himself in Philadelphia where he builds a new life with his wife, Deborah. In this chapter, he also turns to science, where his experiments in electricity earned him worldwide fame. At this time, he also gets into politics and spends a good number of years in London trying to keep Britain and America together.
In the second part viewers can see Benjamin Franklin leaving London to return to wartime Philadelphia, where he joins Congress and helps Thomas Jefferson craft the Declaration of Independence. He dedicated his life to supporting the American Revolution while negotiating a peace treaty with Britain. He spent his last days in the new United States, working on the Constitution and promoting the abolition of slavery.
How to watch the documentary? Air date and where to watch
Benjamin Franklin will be airing in two parts on PBS on 4th and 5th April. The first part titled Join or Die will air on April 4, 2022 and the second part, An American, will be aired the following day. The documentary will air from 8pm ET to 10pm on PBS and the free PBS Video App. PBS is only available in the United States.
Catch Benjamin Franklin's life unveiled in Ken Burn's upcoming documentary.
