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Franklin's Chains Benjamin Franklin, Slavery, and the Paradox of Liberty
Paperback
Historical FiguresColonial Period (1600-1775)General Racism & Ethnic Studies
Publisher: Serena Capuozzo
Published: May 20 2026
Pages: 250
Weight: 0.65
Height: 0.57 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
He taught the world how to speak of freedom.
But freedom was never equally shared.
In Franklin's Chains, the myth of America's most beloved founding father is stripped bare to reveal a far more unsettling truth: while Benjamin Franklin helped ignite the ideals of liberty that shaped a nation, he also moved within, and benefited from, a world built on human bondage.
This gripping and deeply researched narrative explores the moral contradiction at the heart of the American experiment. From the printing houses of Philadelphia to the halls of revolution, Franklin's rise unfolds alongside the brutal realities of slavery in colonial America. Admired as a philosopher, inventor, diplomat, and champion of enlightenment, Franklin also embodied the compromises, silences, and hypocrisies that allowed liberty to flourish for some while denying it to others.
Yet this is not merely a story of condemnation; it is a story of transformation. In the final years of his life, Franklin became one of slavery's most unexpected critics, publicly turning against the institution he once tolerated. Was it redemption? Political calculation? A genuine awakening? Franklin's Chains confronts the question with nuance, power, and unflinching honesty.
Blending vivid storytelling with penetrating historical insight, this book challenges readers to reconsider not only Franklin himself but also the very foundations of freedom, democracy, and American identity.
Provocative, elegant, and urgently relevant, Franklin's Chains is a landmark exploration of the contradictions that continue to shape the modern world.
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