logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2022
44m 50s

Benjamin Franklin: portrait of a revolut...

IMMEDIATE MEDIA
About this episode
Acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns tells Elinor Evans about the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin – a man who both loved Britain but became a key figure in American independence, and who was a slave-owner yet later campaigned for abolition. Burns also talks about the challenges and thrills of portraying complex histories on screen, and of finding voices that bring the past to life.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
Britain and the Caribbean: from slavery to Black Lives Matter
Histories of British involvement in the Caribbean tend to focus mainly on the period of plantation slavery but, in her new book Empire Without End, Imaobong Umoren argues that we need to take a broader view. It's only by taking the story back to the 16th century and forward until ... Show More
30 m
Aug 23
Nationalism: everything you wanted to know
Human beings tend to identify with being in a group, and, historically, few groupings have been more potent than the idea of the nation. But when did people first embrace the idea of the nation state? Is nationalism predominantly a right-wing creed? And does it thrive during peri ... Show More
45m 17s
Aug 22
Preview: The forgers who faked a fortune
In 1775, a respectable lady, a mild-mannered apothecary and his fast-living identical twin stood accused of pulling off a scam that had earnt them a fortune. But as their trial unfolded, the defendants turned on one another, and the plot thickened – who was the real orchestrator ... Show More
8m 52s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
Benjamin Franklin with Ken Burns
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was a scientist, inventor, writer and diplomat. As one of the leading figures of early American history, Franklin helped to draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776, worked to negotiate the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War in 178 ... Show More
33m 26s
Apr 2023
Becoming Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin is considered by many to be one of the first to live the American Dream. He came from humble beginnings, Franklin was raised in Boston, the last of 17 children. Márcia Balisciano tells Don how he went from a printer’s apprentice to Founding Father of the United ... Show More
22m 44s
Jul 2021
Benjamin Franklin Pt. 1
He’s famous for being a Founding Father and a groundbreaking inventor. But behind his electric experiments, Benjamin Franklin kept dark secrets not taught in the history books — stories marked with adultery, betrayal, manslaughter, and possible treason. Learn more about your ad c ... Show More
41m 26s
Sep 2023
President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, so how did it work out when he became the leader of this nation that he was so instrumental in founding? For the third episode in American History Hit's special series about the Presidents, we're explor ... Show More
42m 7s
May 2024
155. The Founding Fathers: Benjamin Franklin (Ep 5)
We're all about the Benjamins. Franklin is unquestionably the most well-rounded of the Founding Fathers. Not only did he help draft the Declaration of Independence and help America define itself, but he also discovered that electricity and lightning were one and the same, reforme ... Show More
39m 28s
Jul 2023
Robert E Lee: Life & Legacy
He is undoubtedly the most famous member of the Confederate forces. But it wasn't always set to be that way. In this episode, Don speaks to Jonathan Horn to find out about the life of Robert E Lee, why he made the decision to join the Confederate side, and how he was connected to ... Show More
35m 46s
Mar 2024
Abraham Lincoln's Sex Life
Abraham Lincoln is often thought of as the most loved president in America's history, but how much do we know about his personal life? Furthermore, how much do we know about his sexuality, and the potential he might have been gay? Joining Kate today are Callie Hawkins and Joan Cu ... Show More
38m 44s
Apr 2023
Hudson River: America's First Art Movement
English-born artist Thomas Cole emigrated to the United States in 1818. Six years later he set up the Hudson River School, which became America's first art movement. Betsy Jacks, director of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, tells Don how these artists captured the country' ... Show More
27m 50s
Jun 2024
Benjamin Franklin | Join or Die | 1
In 1723, a teenage Benjamin Franklin arrived in Philadelphia ready to reinvent himself. He was a penniless apprentice printer with a hunger for knowledge and a burning ambition. Over the next 50 years, he would fashion himself into the most celebrated American of his time.Frankli ... Show More
40m 56s