
Compromise and the Constitution of the United States
Clip | 6m 36sVideo has Closed Captions
As impasse threatened the Constitutional Convention, Franklin appealed for Compromise.
As impasse threatened to derail the Constitutional Convention, Franklin worked to find common ground. In order to pass the proposed Constitution of the United States, the delegates agreed to several compromises—some tragic. On September 17, 1787, Franklin, who saw the new federal government as an experiment to be improved by successive generations, delivered a speech endorsing the Constitution.
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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...

Compromise and the Constitution of the United States
Clip | 6m 36sVideo has Closed Captions
As impasse threatened to derail the Constitutional Convention, Franklin worked to find common ground. In order to pass the proposed Constitution of the United States, the delegates agreed to several compromises—some tragic. On September 17, 1787, Franklin, who saw the new federal government as an experiment to be improved by successive generations, delivered a speech endorsing the Constitution.
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Clip | 4m 37s | Franklin’s popular "Poor Richard’s Almanack" offered an enduring brand of American humor. (4m 37s)
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Clip | 2m 26s | The American Revolution tore families apart, including the Franklins. (2m 26s)
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Clip | 3m 53s | Franklin’s first published essays were printed under a pseudonym—Silence Dogood. (3m 53s)
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Clip | 2m 39s | 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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Clip | 1m 58s | A visit to a school for Black children challenged Franklin’s racial prejudices. (1m 58s)
Franklin and the Antislavery Movement
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Clip | 7m 5s | Late in life, Franklin petitioned Congress to end slavery in the United States. (7m 5s)
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Clip | 1m 49s | 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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Clip | 4m 3s | Franklin and Adams frustrated each other in France with opposing approaches to diplomacy. (4m 3s)
The Declaration of Independence
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Clip | 3m 17s | 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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Clip | 6m 36s | As impasse threatened the Constitutional Convention, Franklin appealed for Compromise. (6m 36s)
Benjamin Franklin’s Theory of Colds
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Clip | 3m 3s | 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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Clip | 1m 55s | Franklin’s musical invention, the armonica, became a sensation in Europe. (1m 55s)
Benjamin Franklin House in London
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Clip | 5m 15s | This bonus scene features Benjamin Franklin House in London, his only surviving residence. (5m 15s)
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Clip | 6m 9s | This extended scene from BENJAMIN FRANKLIN includes bonus material not in the final film. (6m 9s)
Behind the Scenes | Exploring Benjamin Franklin
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Clip | 2m 2s | Get an inside look from Ken Burns on the making of Benjamin Franklin. (2m 2s)
An American Celebrity in France
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Clip | 4m 37s | Benjamin Franklin arrived in France, hoping to win French support for the Revolution. (4m 37s)
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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...