Franklin, Benjamin - Declaration of Independence

In addition to discussing Thomas Jefferson's denunciation of slavery (and advising both Jefferson and John Adams that the Continental Congress would never agree to it), Benjamin Franklin made a significant edit to Jefferson's original version of the Declaration of Independence. It was he who changed the draft from “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable; that all men are created equal and independent” to “We hold these truths to be self evident; that all men are created equal.” This video, recreating that discussion, is a clip from John Adams, the award winning HBO mini series.