I agree that no one should discout Franklin's inventions and great ideas. That's why I was careful to mention them in my comment. But I take issue with forgett

I agree that no one should discout Franklin's inventions and great ideas. That's why I was careful to mention them in my comment. But I take issue with forgetting about this one aspect of Franklin's character because he was simply following the standards of his time. The question is, standards for whom? Affluent white people? The standards certainly weren't acceptable to black Americans. I know that I may sound nit-picky, but I think it's important to apply our current sense of morality to this period in American history. When we gloss over the uncomfortable details, we gloss over some of the lessons.