Slavery was an accepted way of life in early colonial America. Without the work of slaves and indentured servants, the growing economy of the colonies would have been limited. Almost all of our country's founding fathers owned slaves at one time or another, including Benjamin Franklin. read more
Benjamin Franklin was against slavery, and it was one of the last things he fought for in his life as a senator of Pennsylvania. read more
Franklin was convinced that not only the slave trade, but slavery itself should be eliminated. He eventually freed his own two slaves. Franklin recognized that freed slaves could not fend for themselves without help, so he advanced the idea that slaves needed to be educated in order to become contributing members of a free society. read more