Ken Burns takes on Benjamin Franklin...

[Ridgerunner]

Starts tonight... Let's see if Burns gets some wood on the ball...

Benjamin Franklin | Ken Burns | PBS | Watch Benjamin Franklin: A Ken Burns Film | Full Documentary Now Streaming | PBS

Ken Burns’s four-hour documentary, Benjamin Franklin, explores the revolutionary life of one of the 18th century’s most consequential figures, whose work and words unlocked the mystery of electricity and helped create the United States.

www.pbs.org

 

[bendog]

I enjoyed it. The details of his mission to Britain were more or less new to me. I knew he failed, but not in detail.

 

[Ringtone]

I watched part one. As one who is steeped in the biographies and political thought of the primary Founders, I can confidently tell you that it's exceptionally well-done.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Glad to hear the positive reviews... I DVR and watch at my convenience...
Will look forward to watching...

 

[bendog]

I didn't watch the second part last night, but I'll get to it.

Thinking on it again, I thought Franklin's inconsistencies on sexism were clear, and so was his acceptance of himself as an imperfect human able to see his prejudices when they became apparent.

I've never been comfortable with how we treat slaveowners. Franklin didn't free his slaves, but as the show indicated, he didn't seem to upset if they ran off. LOL. But we put him, and Jefferson in the same bundle. Jefferson wrote of disliking the institution, but his estate sold off 130 individuals to pay his debts. It might have been possible that Franklin treated his slaves not unlike indentured servants (he was one) but whose term never ran out, and he may have treated them as employees. Jefferson's estate destroyed families. And he was hardly the worst.

I don't mean to do CRT or anything else, but imo people have a hard time judging men as imperfect beings locked in an society.

 

[odanny]

I have it on tape, and will leave a review when I get around to seeing it, hopefully next week. Looking forward to seeing it for sure.

 

[Ringtone]

I have it on tape, and will leave a review when I get around to seeing it, hopefully next week. Looking forward to seeing it for sure.

I do have one criticism that stems from the scholarship of postmodernity, which undermines the primacy of Lockean theory.

I will discuss that with you if you like after you post your review.