Latest Episodes
Benjamin Franklin helps craft the Declaration of Independence and wins French support.
Episode:
S1
E2
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1:54:59
After success as a Philadelphia printer Benjamin Franklin earns worldwide fame in science.
Episode:
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E1
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1:55:26
Episode:
S1
Episode:
S1
Specials
Ken Burns speaks with Mandy Patinkin and Michael Douglas.
Special:
25:27
Filmmakers and special guests explore Franklin's writing in this virtual event series.
Special:
1:15:12
Filmmakers and special guests explore Franklin's writing in this virtual event series.
Special:
56:05
Filmmakers and special guests explore Franklin's writing in this virtual event series.
Special:
59:03
Filmmakers and special guests explore Franklin's writing in this virtual event series.
Special:
1:01:26
Extras
A visit to a school for Black children challenged Franklin’s racial prejudices.
Clip:
1:58
As impasse threatened the Constitutional Convention, Franklin appealed for Compromise.
Clip:
6:36
Late in life, Franklin petitioned Congress to end slavery in the United States.
Clip:
7:05
Franklin and Adams frustrated each other in France with opposing approaches to diplomacy.
Clip:
4:03
Franklin’s musical invention, the armonica, became a sensation in Europe.
Clip:
1:55
Franklin’s first published essays were printed under a pseudonym—Silence Dogood.
Clip:
3:53
The American Revolution tore families apart, including the Franklins.
Clip:
2:26
Benjamin Franklin arrived in France, hoping to win French support for the Revolution.
Clip:
4:37
This bonus scene features Benjamin Franklin House in London, his only surviving residence.
Clip:
5:15
Franklin and Adams have to share a bedroom in a humorous scene not in the final film.
Clip:
3:03
A month after the end of the battle, Franklin finally got the news from Yorktown.
Clip:
2:39
Franklin’s popular "Poor Richard’s Almanack" offered an enduring brand of American humor.
Clip:
4:37
Ken Burns explores the revolutionary life of Benjamin Franklin.
Preview:
0:31
Get an inside look from Ken Burns on the making of Benjamin Franklin.
Clip:
2:02
This extended scene from BENJAMIN FRANKLIN includes bonus material not in the final film.
Clip:
6:09
In 1765, England found a new way to raise money from the American colonies: The Stamp Act.
Clip:
3:46
Franklin, the most famous American in London, became the face of American resistance.
Clip:
6:02
Franklin made a pivotal edit to Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence.
Clip:
3:17
The Treaty of Paris ended a war, secured Independence and created an Empire.
Clip:
4:20
Franklin studied electricity and proved lightning’s electrical nature with a key and kite.
Clip:
5:31
Enslaved Philadelphia residents worked in businesses and homes, including Franklin’s.
Clip:
1:49