Q&A

Was Ben Franklin unfaithful to his wife?

Was Ben Franklin unfaithful to his wife?

Some historians believe that Franklin married her just so he’d have someone to take out his sexual energies on. He cheated on her openly throughout their 44-year marriage, 18 years of which were spent living apart. Deborah suffered a stroke while her husband was overseas.

Was Benjamin Franklin ever married?

Deborah Readm. 1730–1774
Benjamin Franklin/Spouse

What did Deborah Read Franklin do?

Wife of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. Deborah Read Franklin played an important role in the founding of the United States simply by taking on the management of her family businesses. Whether Deborah was born while her parents still lived in England, or after they moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is uncertain.

How long did Benjamin Franklin own slaves?

Franklin owned slaves from as early as 1735 until 1781. The Franklin household had six slaves; Peter, his wife Jemima and their son Othello, George, John and King. After 1758 Franklin gradually changed his mind when his friend Samuel Johnson brought him to one of Dr. Bray’s schools for black children.

Did Benjamin Franklin marry and have children?

When their common-law marriage was established in 1730, Franklin already had an illegitimate son named William. The Franklin/Read family took William in as one of their own. Franklin and Read had two children together. Their first child was named Francis Folger Franklin and was born in October 1732.

When did Deborah Franklin write to her husband?

In October 1765, Deborah Franklin sent a gushing letter to her husband, who was in London on business for the Pennsylvania legislature.

Who was the wife of the founding father?

Deborah Read Franklin ( c. 1708 – December 19, 1774) was the common-law spouse of one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin .

How many children did Franklin and read have?

Franklin and Read had two children together. Their first child was named Francis Folger Franklin and was born in October 1732. Sadly, he passed away just four years later from smallpox. Sarah Franklin, their next child, was born in 1743.

How old was Francis Franklin when he died?

In 1736 Francis, who was 4 years old, died from small pox. He had not been inoculated. Inoculation had proven successful after the 1721 outbreak in Boston when 5,889 Bostonians had smallpox, and 844 died of it.