Ben Franklin

The burial of William Franklin at St. Pancras Old Church highlights that the American Revolution was a civil war, not merely a founding act. The article notes that forming a more perfect union remains a messy process filled with anger and confrontation, making the history an ongoing event marked by disagreement.

Benjamin Franklin's son William was buried in London following his death in 1813. He had been forced to leave America more than three decades before, an event framed by the civil war as a microcosm of revolution.

The burial place of William Franklin in central London serves as a reminder that the American Revolution was a complex civil war, not merely an act of founding independence. Historians note that American history is characterized by disagreements, making the conflict an ongoing event today. The nation also faces the task of forming a more perfect union amid confrontation since events started when the Republican returned to the White House in January 2025.

A new Google Workspace commercial imagines the founding fathers using Google's collaboration tools and Gemini AI to draft the Declaration of Independence. The ad shows Ben Franklin texting Thomas Jefferson, AI transcribing a document, and Gemini assisting with scheduling and note-taking during a Google Meet call.

The article discusses the fire risks in 1730s Philadelphia, where careless acts like carrying coals indoors or neglecting chimneys could lead to devastating fires. It references an anonymous letter in The Pennsylvania Gazette from February 1735, highlighting the era's public safety concerns.