Runaway America: Benjamin Franklin, Slavery, and the American Revolution

Runaway America examines Benjamin Franklin's complex relationship with slavery throughout his life and career. The book tracks Franklin's evolution from a slave owner and printer of runaway slave advertisements to his later anti-slavery advocacy. Historian David Waldstreicher analyzes Franklin's writings, business dealings, and political activities through the lens of slavery and race in colonial and revolutionary America. The narrative follows Franklin across decades as he navigates the economic and social realities of a slave society while building his own fortune and reputation. This biographical study connects Franklin's personal journey to broader themes about freedom, commerce, and nation-building in early America. By focusing on Franklin's engagement with slavery, the book offers new perspectives on both the man himself and the revolutionary period in which he lived.

Readers note this academic work reveals Franklin's complex relationship with slavery through detailed analysis of his writings, business dealings, and political activities. Many appreciate how it challenges the simplified view of Franklin as an abolitionist. Readers liked: - Deep research into Franklin's newspaper advertisements and business records - Examination of how Franklin's views on slavery evolved over time - Analysis of economic factors influencing colonial attitudes toward slavery Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style makes it less accessible - Too much focus on commercial aspects versus social/moral dimensions - Some readers found the arguments repetitive Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (43 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (12 ratings) One reader noted: "Important perspective but could have been written more engagingly for general audiences." Another commented: "Changed my understanding of Franklin's relationship with slavery but the writing is very dry."

American Slavery, American Freedom by Edmund Morgan This examination of colonial Virginia reveals how the parallel growth of slavery and freedom formed the foundation of American society.

The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America by Gerald Horne This work shows how slave rebellions and resistance influenced colonial America's break from Britain.

Adams Family Correspondence by L. H. Butterfield The letters between John, Abigail, and their family provide insight into how the American Revolution's leaders navigated the contradiction between liberty and slavery.

Negro President: Jefferson and the Slave Power by Garry Wills This analysis explores how slavery shaped Thomas Jefferson's presidency and the early American political system.

Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America by Ira Berlin This study traces how slavery evolved from the colonial period through the American Revolution and demonstrates its impact on the founding of the United States.

🔷 Though Benjamin Franklin eventually became an abolitionist, he owned slaves for much of his life and profited from the slave trade through his printing business, which ran advertisements for slave sales and rewards for captured runaways. 🔷 Author David Waldstreicher uncovered that Franklin's famous pseudonym "Richard Saunders" (Poor Richard) was likely inspired by a real indentured servant who worked in a printing house Franklin knew. 🔷 Franklin's newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette, printed some of colonial America's most detailed descriptions of enslaved people through its runaway advertisements, providing historians with valuable information about 18th-century slavery. 🔷 The book reveals how Franklin's views on race and slavery evolved alongside his changing social status - from a working craftsman who accepted slavery as normal to an elite gentleman who began questioning the institution. 🔷 During his time in London representing colonial interests, Franklin strategically avoided discussing slavery with British abolitionists, recognizing that the issue could damage colonial unity against British policies.