Benjamin Franklin's eldest son, William, chose to remain loyal to the British Crown, a decision that upended his life and family relationships and serves as a potent reminder of the American Revolution's nature as a civil war.
William Franklin was buried in London in 1813, more than three decades after he was forced to leave America due to his service to the British Empire. His burial site at the graveyard of St. Pancras Old Church in the heart of London underscores the complex reality of the conflict that founded the United States.
Historians note that the Revolution was not solely a fight against an external power but also an internal struggle, a civil war that divided families and friendships 250 years ago. This division continues to resonate today, according to James Taub, associate curator at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.
"Now especially, I think it is important for people to understand that American history is 250 years of everybody disagreeing with each other," Taub said. "The American Revolution is an ongoing event. We are living it, right still to this day."
While often simplified as a unified colonial effort against the British Empire, the eight-year war was fought by people who once considered themselves British against their former sovereign. At times, loyalist Americans constituted the largest contingent of troops in the British forces, with estimates suggesting up to one-third of the population remained loyal to King George III.
Allegiances were often based on individual beliefs about which side was more likely to deliver freedom and justice. This complex reality played out starkly within the Franklin family. William, who had accompanied his father on a trip to London in 1757 and later served as governor of New Jersey from 1763 to 1776, rejected the authority of the Continental Congress. In contrast, his father, Benjamin Franklin, became a strong advocate for independence.
William Franklin was arrested by American forces in January 1776, branded an "enemy of the country's liberty," and imprisoned until October 1778, enduring solitary confinement for much of that period. Following his release in a prisoner exchange, he became a leader within the loyalist community in British-held New York City.
After the British defeat, William Franklin sailed for London in 1782. He reportedly had only one brief meeting with his father between his arrest and Benjamin Franklin's death in 1790.
Daniel Mark Epstein, author of "The Loyal Son: The War in Ben Franklin's House," highlights that Benjamin Franklin had repeatedly warned his son about the consequences of his continued service as royal governor. However, William Franklin remained steadfast in his allegiance.
"He was absolutely not gonna budge," Epstein said of William. "He was the last governor to leave his office, and he had to be dragged away literally in irons."
Epstein suggests the Franklin family's story serves as a cautionary tale for contemporary America, pointing to a perceived decline in educational standards and an increased ease of access to weapons. He contrasted this with colonial America, a highly literate society where 90% of the population could read and disagreements were more often resolved through rational argument than violence.
Taub offers a broader perspective, seeing parallels between the conflicts that ignited the Revolution and current societal tensions. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the complexities of the Revolutionary era to appreciate the significance of the Declaration of Independence and its influence on other nations' founding documents.
"It makes me feel better about us today," Taub said. "And I think it will show that we're just part of 250 years of an ongoing story and 250 years of an ongoing mission that was laid down, a cause that was laid down by people in 1776."