Acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns tells Elinor Evans about the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin – a man who both loved Britain but became a key figure in American independence, and who was a slave-owner yet later campaigned for abolition. Burns also talks about the challenges and thrills of portraying complex histories on screen, and of finding voices that bring the past to life.

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Ken Burns' film Benjamin Franklin is broadcast at 7.45 pm, on 6–7 April on PBS America

Authors

Elinor EvansDigital editor

Elinor Evans is digital editor of HistoryExtra.com. She commissions and writes history articles for the website, and regularly interviews historians for the award-winning HistoryExtra podcast

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