How many slaves did Benjamin Franklin have?
Asked by: Tyreek Schimmel | Last update: May 8, 2026Score: 4.6/5 (67 votes)
Benjamin Franklin owned at least seven enslaved people during his life, including Peter, Jemima, King, Othello, George, Joseph, and Bob, though the exact number varied over time, with him profiting from slave sales through his newspaper and later becoming a staunch abolitionist, freeing his remaining slaves in his will before his death. His views on slavery evolved significantly, and by the end of his life, he was actively working against the institution, advocating for integration and signing petitions against slavery, even as he benefited from it earlier.
Which president had the most amount of slaves?
Thomas Jefferson owned the most slaves of any U.S. president, holding over 600 people in bondage during his lifetime, with hundreds at his Monticello plantation alone, making him the president with the largest enslaved population, despite his public anti-slavery views.
Did Benjamin Franklin believe in slavery?
As a young man he owned slaves, and he carried advertisements for the sale of slaves in his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette. At the same time, however, he published numerous Quaker pamphlets against slavery and condemned the practice of slavery in his private correspondence.
Which president never had slaves?
Several U.S. Presidents never owned slaves, with the earliest being John Adams (2nd President) and his son John Quincy Adams (6th President), who were both strongly opposed to the institution; later presidents like Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln also did not own slaves, with Lincoln famously leading the nation to abolish slavery.
Why is Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill?
Benjamin Franklin is on the $100 bill because of his immense contributions as a statesman, inventor, diplomat, and Founding Father, representing American innovation and intellect, even though he never served as President. His role in securing French support during the Revolutionary War, drafting key documents like the Declaration of Independence, and founding vital civic institutions like public libraries cemented his status as a foundational figure, earning him a place on the highest-denomination currency.
Kaye Wise Whitehead on Franklin's Legacy Regarding Slavery
What $2 bill is worth $20,000?
A $2 bill worth $20,000 is typically a 1928 Series Red Seal (especially 1928-B Star Note) in uncirculated condition, a 1976 Bicentennial bill with a low serial number like 00000001, or an older, pre-1900 note (like an 1890 Treasury Note), often with unique serial numbers (ladder, solid) or errors, but most $2 bills are only worth face value.
Who's on the $500 dollar bill?
Who is on the $500 bill? The most widely recognized $500 bill features William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States. Earlier versions displayed historical figures such as John Quincy Adams and Chief Justice John Marshall.
Which president had 600 slaves?
Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President and author of the Declaration of Independence, enslaved over 600 Black men, women, and children during his lifetime, the most of any U.S. president, working them at his Monticello estate and even in the White House. Despite his ideals of liberty, Jefferson's life was deeply intertwined with slavery, holding people at Monticello and other properties, with around 400 enslaved at Monticello at any given time.
Who is the black man on the $2 bill?
The image on the $2 bill shows the drafting of The Declaration of Independence by painter John Turnbull. The image some claimed as Hanson is actually Robert Morris, one of the original signers of the Declaration. Morris's image appears dark on the bill due to the type of printing used at the time.
Are there any living descendants of Benjamin Franklin?
Yes, Benjamin Franklin has many living descendants, primarily through his daughter Sally Franklin Bache, as his son William had no surviving male heirs, and his only son with Deborah Read, Francis, died young. Descendants have been identified through projects by organizations like the {Friends of Franklin} (FOF), with some participating in campaigns like {Ancestry's "Declaration Descendants"}.
Did Benjamin Franklin free his slaves upon his death?
As far as we know, Franklin first purchased a slave in 1735. Throughout his lifetime there were up to 7 named slaves in the Franklin household. By the late 1780s, Franklin had become a staunch abolitionist and as part of his will, all remaining slaves were freed upon his death in 1790.
What is a famous quote about slavery?
"The moment the slave resolves that he will no longer be a slave, his fetters fall. Freedom and slavery are mental states." "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong." "Where Slavery is there Liberty cannot be; and where Liberty is there Slavery cannot be."
Which president hated slavery?
Abraham Lincoln is the U.S. President most famously associated with fighting for the abolition of slavery, primarily through the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed enslaved people in rebelling states, and his crucial support for the 13th Amendment, which ultimately abolished slavery nationwide. While his initial goal was preserving the Union, his actions shifted the Civil War's purpose to include ending slavery, paving the way for its total constitutional prohibition.
Which presidents had children with slaves?
Alleged children
Three U.S. presidents have allegedly fathered illegitimate children with slaves. The most well-known and substantial of these allegations relates to Thomas Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings; who was also the half-sister of Jefferson's wife Martha (with whom he had already fathered six children).
What president bought slaves to free them?
President James Buchanan is known for buying enslaved people in Washington, D.C., and then bringing them to Pennsylvania to be freed or become indentured servants, a nuanced action that some historians view as personal abolition efforts, while others note he never enacted broad anti-slavery legislation as president. He bought a Black mother and daughter in 1835, bringing them to Pennsylvania where they became indentured servants under terms not required by Pennsylvania law, a common practice at the time. While accounts suggest he freed others while in office, records are less clear, and his actions don't equate to abolitionist legislation.
Which $1 bill is worth $150,000?
A $1 bill could be worth up to $150,000 if it's part of a rare misprinted pair with duplicate serial numbers, featuring the "Series 2013," a "B" Federal Reserve Seal, and a star () at the end of the serial number, with numbers falling within specific ranges (B00000001-B00250000* or B03200001*-B09600000*). These bills were printed in 2014 and 2016 but were overlooked, creating millions of these unique pairs collectors are seeking, though only a few have been found.
Which President had black descendants?
Historian Joel Augustus Rogers provides his evidence that there have been nineteenth- and twentieth-century presidents of the United States who had partial black ancestry, including Harding, Jefferson, Jackson and Lincoln.
How much is a $2.00 bill worth today?
Most $2 bills are worth face value, but older bills (pre-1928) with red, brown, or blue seals, uncirculated condition, or rare serial numbers (like star notes, solids, or radars) can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars, with some 1890 notes fetching $4,500+. Look for the date and seal color; modern bills (post-1976) are usually just $2 unless they have a unique error or number.
Which president never freed his slaves?
Many U.S. Presidents did not free slaves, as slavery was legal and common, with prominent enslavers including Andrew Jackson, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson, while others like John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Abraham Lincoln did not own slaves but faced complexities in their stances on emancipation. President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves in rebellious states, not all enslaved people, and many presidents supported the institution, never freeing those they enslaved.
What race was enslaved for 400 years?
People of African descent were forcibly enslaved for approximately 400 years in the Americas, beginning with the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the English colonies in 1619, marking the start of centuries of brutal chattel slavery that profoundly shaped the United States and its people.
What president freed all slaves?
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."
Can you legally own a $100,000 dollar bill?
No, you cannot legally own a genuine $100,000 bill because they were never circulated to the public, only used for transactions between Federal Reserve Banks, and it's illegal for private citizens to possess them; the few remaining examples are held by the U.S. government and displayed in museums for educational purposes.
Is there a $1000 bill in U.S. currency?
Yes, $1000 bills exist as U.S. currency but are not currently printed or circulated for public use; they were discontinued in 1969 due to lack of use and to combat money laundering, though they remain legal tender and are valuable collector's items. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing stopped issuing them, with the last ones printed in 1945 and recalled in 1969, making them rare and worth much more than face value to collectors.
Who's on a $3 bill?
Dollar bills - Bill Clinton $3 bill, Dick Gregory $1 bill, 1957 $1 bill.