A classic forefather
Benjamin Franklin was an Abolitionist, but that's not the whole story. As a politician, a businessman and international representative, his position on, and relationship with slavery was, shall we say, a sign of the times. Franklin's fortune was amassed, and comfort provided for in large part, due to slavery. His newspaper advertised runaway slaves, slaves for sale and also indentured servants. Franklin himself owned several slaves.
In fact, One ran away when he went to England, (and was later found under the care of an Englishwoman who was gentrifying him). Franklin was unable to do anything other than accept that he had lost his slave, seeing as England, though firmly entrenched in the slave trade, had passed a law that any slave was instantly free, upon setting foot on British soil.
Franklin also owned a husband and wife and child. The husband he freed prior to leaving to France. the rest of his slaves were freed upon his return to America from France for the final time.
"Sensitive" to the issue of slavery and labor
Franklin, in his early career avoided being pinned down as to his personal views on slavery. He certainly understood the importance of slavery, monetarily, to the emerging young nation, but having been an indentured servant himself, who used a loophole and trick to escape his bondage, he also was, according to historians, "sensitive" to the issue of slavery.
Later in life, Franklin fully revealed his position. He advocated for abolitionism. He wrote several papers, one, (his last) was a parody of Muslim slavery (written in the "voice" of Muslim), which in actuality used all the arguments that southern planters used to justify slavery. Franklin died 25 days after the letter was written, and the letter was in fact written from his death bed.
Abolitionist and Educator
Yet, Franklin's position was no death-bed conversion. A full 6 years earlier, Franklin, upon embarking upon a serious friendship with the famous Abolitionist, Anthony Benezet, he was named President of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the abolition of slavery. Franklin's turn from Slave-owner to Abolitionist was nothing new. Many Abolitionist in the years leading up to the civil war, were themselves, like Franklin, former slave owners, much in the same way, and for the same reason that many meat eaters, become vegetarians.
Credit must also be given to Franklin in his last year, for backing a 1790 petition for abolition sent to the United States Government, by the New York and Pennsylvania Quakers. Franklin also, unlike *Abraham Lincoln, advocated for the education and integration of freed Blacks into mainstream society. Franklin was thoroughly convinced that the problems associated with slavery, such as lack of education, lack of training and lack of practicable, free enterprise experience and general "ignorance" was wholly due to their oppression and situation and lack of opportunity, and not some fault in innate intelligence. Indeed, Franklin was mightily impressed, if not taken aback altogether, with the rapacity of educational progress attained by free blacks and their children, once they found opportunities to educate themselves.
*Abraham Lincoln, though against slavery on moral grounds, did not think that Blacks were the equal of whites, nor did he feel that it was practicable, due to their lacking intelligence and lowly condition, to integrate with mainstream society
As far back as 1760, Franklin's ideas on education of Free Blacks and the importance of education was exemplified, through his membership with the Bray Associates. The Bray Associates were a society started by a "legacy" from Dr. Bray to set up schools for negro Children in the colonies. (The famous Samuel Johnson, was also a member). This association set up schools in Boston, Philadelphia, New York and other locations.
Franklin's place in history
It is generally acknowledged that all of the forefathers were slave owners at one time or another and also profited personally politically, and professionally from slavery, and it's fruits. yet, Franklin however, repented and converted thereby turning his efforts towards the cause of abolition and integration. To his dying day Franklin focused his efforts on serving as one of the forefathers in what he knew would be an effort to Black freedom that could not possibly be concluded in his lifetime.
[What follows is a sample of writing in Franklin's own hand, advocating abolition]
JUNE 20, 1772: THE SOMMERSETT CASE AND THE SLAVE TRADE:
BY BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
The Sommersett Case and the Slave Trade
It is said that some generous humane persons subscribed to the expence of obtaining liberty by law for Somerset the Negro. -- It is to be wished that the same humanity may extend itself among numbers; if not to the procuring liberty for those that remain in our Colonies, at least to obtain a law for abolishing the African commerce in Slaves, and declaring the children of present Slaves free after they become of age.
By a late computation made in America, it appears that there are now eight hundred and fifty thousand Negroes in the English Islands and Colonies; and that the yearly importation is about one hundred thousand, of which number about one third perish by the gaol distemper on the passage, and in the sickness called the seasoning before they are set to labour. The remnant makes up the deficiencies continually occurring among the main body of those unhappy people, through the distempers occasioned by excessive labour, bad nourishment, uncomfortable accommodation, and broken spirits. Can sweetening our tea, &c. with sugar, be a circumstance of such absolute necessity? Can the petty pleasure thence arising to the taste, compensate for so much misery produced among our fellow creatures, and such a constant butchery of the human species by this pestilential detestable traffic in the bodies and souls of men? -- Pharisaical Britain! to pride thyself in setting free a single Slave that happens to land on thy coasts, while thy Merchants in all thy ports are encouraged by thy laws to continue a commerce whereby so many hundreds of thousands are dragged into a slavery that can scarce be said to end with their lives, since it is entailed on their posterity!
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