After success as a Philadelphia printer Benjamin Franklin earns worldwide fame in science.

“Join or Die” (1706-1774) Benjamin Franklin

Premiered April 04, 2022
“Join or Die” (1706-1774)

Leaving behind his Boston childhood, Benjamin Franklin reinvents himself in Philadelphia where he builds a printing empire and a new life with his wife, Deborah. Turning to science, Franklin's lightning rod and experiments in electricity earn him worldwide fame. After entering politics, he spends years in London trying to keep Britain and America together as his own family starts to come apart.

About the Program

Benjamin Franklin

Ken Burns’s two-part, four-hour documentary, "Benjamin Franklin," explores the revolutionary life of one of the18th century's most consequential and compelling personalities, whose work and words unlocked the mystery of electricity and helped create the United States.

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