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Ben Franklin chose America. Son William chose the crown. This civil war is a microcosm of revolution
The split reflected a wider Revolution-era divide, with as much as one-third of Americans remaining loyal to King George III, historians said.
- Founding Father Ben Franklin and his son, William Franklin, experienced a deep ideological divide during the American Revolution, a family conflict that reminds us the nation's founding was also a civil war splitting families 250 years ago.
- William served as New Jersey's governor for 13 years, maintaining royal ties even as Ben Franklin repeatedly warned him the emerging American government would arrest him for refusing to step down.
- Emerging American forces arrested William in January 1776, labeling him "an enemy of the country's liberty," and held him imprisoned until 1778, often in solitary confinement.
- Following his release in a prisoner exchange, William sailed for London and died there in 1813, buried at St. Pancras Old Church—a symbol of the Revolution's nature as civil war.
- James Taub, associate curator at the Museum of the American Revolution, notes that 250 years later, American history remains defined by ongoing disagreement, with citizens still living that revolutionary mission today.
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Ben Franklin chose America. Son William chose the crown. This civil war is a microcosm of revolution.
“The American Revolution is an ongoing event. We are living it, right still to this day.” The post Ben Franklin chose America. Son William chose the crown. This civil war is a microcosm of revolution. appeared first on Boston.com.
·Boston, United States
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Ben Franklin Chose America. Son William Chose the Crown. This ...
·Boca Raton, United States
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Associated Press News+19 Reposted by 19 other sources
Ben Franklin chose America. Son William chose the crown. This civil war is a microcosm of revolution
Benjamin Franklin's son William was buried in London following his death in 1813, more than three decades after he was forced to leave America.
·New York, United States
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In central London, near where tourists and business travellers board Eurostar trains to Paris, is the site where Benjamin Franklin's eldest son is buried, a man whose life and family relations were disrupted by his stance on the American War of Independence.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources23
Leaning Left7Leaning Right2Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 33%
C 57%
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