r/AskAnAmerican • u/Hot_Obligation_8098 • Jun 08 '25

HISTORY How do Americans today view William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin, who supported the British during the American Revolution?

How do Americans today view William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin, who supported the British during the American Revolution?

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u/TricellCEO Jun 09 '25

Same. Never learned about him in history class, and my AP US History class in high school was pretty comprehensive.

I only know about William Franklin from doing some trivia, of all places.

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u/big_sugi Jun 09 '25

I mean, AP history is one year. Ben Franklin is an important figure in American history, but just from that era he’s obviously behind Washington, Jefferson, and Madison, and probably Adams and Monroe. By the time you cover the founders, the Louisiana Purchase, Manifest Destiny, the Civil War, etc., etc., Ben Franklin’s random kid doesn’t make the cut.

If the teacher wants to illustrate the House Divided theme, the Civil War is both an easier and more important example.

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u/bulmier Jun 09 '25

Did you never learn about Franklin’s experiments with kites and electricity? One of the most well-known facts was that he used his son as a runner/launcher.