Jonah Patel
Benjamin Franklin's views on slavery during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were complex. While he had owned slaves earlier in his life, Franklin's views evolved over time, and by the late 1750s, he had become an abolitionist. In the lead-up to the Convention, Franklin signed a public anti-slavery appeal, stating that the Creator of the world had made 'of one flesh, all the children of men.' However, during the Convention, Franklin refused to publicly debate the issue of slavery and did not present a petition for abolition. Despite this, he played an active role in restoring harmony among delegates and urged great Coolness and Temper. After the Convention, Franklin continued his abolitionist work, becoming president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and submitting petitions to Congress calling for an end to slavery and the slave trade.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Views on slavery | Believed slavery was an "atrocious debasement of human nature" and a source of serious evils |
| Action against slavery | Signed a public anti-slavery appeal weeks before the Constitutional Convention |
| Became president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery | |
| Signed a petition asking Congress to "devise means for removing the Inconsistency from the Character of the American People" and to "promote mercy and justice toward this distressed Race" | |
| Wrote and published several essays supporting the abolition of slavery | |
| Supported the integration of African Americans into U.S. society | |
| Published Quaker anti-slavery pamphlets and adverts | |
| Condemned slavery in his private correspondence | |
| Involvement in slavery | Owned slaves |
| Advertised the sale of enslaved people in his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette | |
| Published notices of runaways in his newspaper | |
| Benefited financially from the slave trade |
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What You'll Learn
Benjamin Franklin's early views on slavery
Franklin was a slave owner and is known to have benefited financially from the slave trade for much of his early life. The Franklin household owned enslaved people as early as 1735, and he is reported to have purchased at least seven individuals: Joseph, Jemima, Peter, King, Othello, George, and Bob. In addition to ownership, Franklin also advertised the sale of enslaved people and published notices of runaways in his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette.
However, even during this early period, Franklin had a complicated relationship with slavery. He published Quaker anti-slavery advertisements and pamphlets, and in his private correspondence, he condemned the practice of slavery. After his return from Europe, where he had negotiated the peace treaty ending the Revolutionary War, Franklin became an abolitionist and freed his two slaves.
By the 1780s, Franklin had become a vocal abolitionist, writing a famous public address condemning slavery and urging Congress to act. In 1787, he became the President of the Philadelphia Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, also known as the Abolition Society. That same year, he signed a public anti-slavery appeal, stating that "the Creator of the world" had made "of one flesh, all the children of men." Franklin also helped write a new constitution for the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery.
In summary, while Benjamin Franklin's early views on slavery were complicated and contradictory, he ultimately became an outspoken opponent of slavery and worked actively to abolish it in the United States.
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His involvement in the slave trade
Benjamin Franklin's involvement in the slave trade is a complex part of his history. Like many other American Founders, Franklin was an active participant in the slave trade and benefited financially from it for much of his early life. The Franklin household owned enslaved people as early as 1735 until 1790, and was reported to have purchased at least seven individuals: Joseph, Jemima, Peter, King, Othello, George, and Bob.
Franklin also profited from the institution of slavery in other ways. He made financial gains by advertising the sale of enslaved people and publishing notices of runaways in his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette. In addition to this, Franklin travelled to London with two enslaved Africans, Peter and King, who lived and worked with him at 36 Craven Street.
However, Franklin's views on slavery changed significantly during his time in London. By the 1780s, he had become a vocal abolitionist, writing a famous public address condemning slavery and urging Congress to act. This shift in perspective was influenced by Enlightenment figures such as Condorcet, whose work "Reflections on Negro Slavery" impacted Franklin during his time in Paris.
Franklin's last public act was a petition to Congress on behalf of the Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, requesting that they "cut the cancer of slavery out of the American body politic" and grant liberty "to those unhappy men who alone in this land of freedom are degraded into perpetual bondage." This petition, signed on February 3, 1790, just two months before his death, was immediately denounced by pro-slavery congressmen and sparked a heated debate.
In summary, Benjamin Franklin's early life was entangled in the slave trade, both as a slave owner and through financial gains from advertising. However, his views evolved, and he ultimately became a vocal abolitionist, using his influence to advocate for the abolition of slavery and an end to the slave trade.
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His transition to abolitionism
Benjamin Franklin's transition to abolitionism was a gradual process that occurred over several decades. Initially, Franklin was a slave owner and benefited financially from the slave trade. He advertised the sale of enslaved people and published notices of runaways in his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette. However, even during this early period, Franklin's relationship with slavery was complicated. He also published Quaker anti-slavery pamphlets and condemned the practice in his private correspondence.
In the 1750s, Franklin's views began to change significantly. By the 1760s, he was actively arguing against slavery and promoting the education and integration of African Americans into US society. In 1787, weeks before the start of the Constitutional Convention, Franklin signed a public anti-slavery appeal, stating that "the Creator of the world" had made "of one flesh, all the children of men".
In 1787, Franklin accepted the presidency of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery (also known as the Abolition Society or the Pennsylvania Abolition Society), which had been formed in 1774 by a group of abolitionist Quakers. As president, Franklin helped write a new constitution for the society and worked to urge Congress to act on abolition. That same year, he became an outspoken opponent of slavery, writing and publishing several essays supporting its abolition.
In 1789, Franklin wrote and published several essays supporting the abolition of slavery. His last public act was to send a petition to Congress on behalf of the Society, asking for an end to slavery and the slave trade. The petition, signed on February 3, 1790, just two months before his death, called on Congress to "devise means for removing the Inconsistency from the Character of the American People" and to "promote mercy and justice toward this distressed Race."
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His presidency of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society
Benjamin Franklin's relationship with slavery was complicated. While he owned slaves and financially benefited from the institution, he also published Quaker anti-slavery pamphlets and advertisements. In his later years, he became a vocal abolitionist.
Franklin was elected president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, also known as the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, at some point after 1785. The society was founded in 1775 and reorganized in 1784 as the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage. It was the first American abolition society and had members and leaders of both races. The society asked Franklin to bring the matter of slavery to the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
In his capacity as president, Franklin signed a public anti-slavery appeal weeks before the start of the Constitutional Convention. In 1790, he petitioned the U.S. Congress to ban slavery. This petition, addressed to Vice President John Adams, sparked a heated debate in both the House and the Senate. Unfortunately, no action was taken on the petition, and Franklin died two months later in the same year.
Franklin's last public act was to send a petition to Congress on behalf of the Society, asking for the abolition of slavery and an end to the slave trade. This petition, signed on February 3, 1790, asked the first Congress to "devise means for removing the Inconsistency from the Character of the American People" and to "promote mercy and justice toward this distressed Race."
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His anti-slavery petitions to Congress
Benjamin Franklin's views on slavery were complicated and evolved over time. While he owned slaves and profited from the slave trade early in his life, he later became an outspoken critic of slavery and an active abolitionist.
Franklin's anti-slavery petitions to Congress were a significant part of his legacy and a courageous act at the dawn of a new nation. As a world-renowned Enlightenment scientist and statesman, Franklin dedicated his life to the causes of liberty and civic virtue. Here is a detailed breakdown of his anti-slavery petitions:
The Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery:
Franklin became associated with the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, originally formed as the Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage in 1775. He became the president of this society in 1787, and in that capacity, he hosted the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia. The society was reorganised in 1784 and again in 1787, and then incorporated by the state of Pennsylvania in 1789.
The Petitions:
In 1787, weeks before the Constitutional Convention, Franklin signed a public anti-slavery appeal. However, he refused to publicly debate the issue of slavery at the convention. In 1789, he wrote and published several essays supporting abolition.
Franklin's last public act was submitting a petition to Congress on behalf of the Society, asking for the abolition of slavery and an end to the slave trade. This petition, signed on February 3, 1790, was addressed to the first Congress, then meeting in New York City. It urged Congress to "devise means for removing the Inconsistency from the Character of the American People" and to "promote mercy and justice toward this distressed Race."
The Impact:
Franklin's petition sparked a heated debate in both the House and the Senate. The Senate took no action, and the House referred it to a select committee. The committee reported in March 1790 that the Constitution restrained Congress from prohibiting the importation or emancipation of slaves until 1808. Franklin died in April 1790, just two months after signing the petition.
Franklin's petitions were not immediately successful, but they played a crucial role in catalysing seven decades of fierce debate over slavery and its expansion. His actions and writings inspired others to continue the fight for abolition and shaped the course of history in the United States.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Benjamin Franklin owned slaves as early as 1735. He also ran "for sale" ads for slaves in his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette.
Benjamin Franklin refused to publicly debate the issue of slavery at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. However, he is known to have become an abolitionist by the late 1750s, and he served as the president of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society.
In 1787, weeks before the start of the Constitutional Convention, Franklin signed a public antislavery appeal. He also wrote and published several essays in 1789 supporting the abolition of slavery. His last public act was to send a petition to Congress on behalf of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, asking for the abolition of slavery and an end to the slave trade.
