Smithsonian Exhibit Highlights Benjamin Franklin's Contributions and Controversies

<p>In November 2021, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History opened an exhibit titled “The Electric Dr. Franklin,” which detailed Benjamin Franklin’s contributions to electrical science. The exhibit noted that Franklin had enslaved people in his household prior to becoming an abolitionist, stating, “Benjamin Franklin’s remarkable scientific accomplishments were, in part, enabled by slavery.”</p><p>The exhibit suggested that Franklin may have involved enslaved individuals in his electrical research. It stated, “Franklin wrote about experiments in which he took shocks and used family and friends in these ways, although he seldom identified who in particular assisted him.” The exhibit, which will close in 2025, also mentioned that “indentured servants and enslaved people in his household could also have been used, although we may never know for certain.”</p><p>This assertion drew significant criticism, particularly in a 162-page report released by the White House in July. The report claimed that the museum had experienced an “ideological capture” that shifted its mission from historical education and scholarship to political activism aimed at transforming the country.</p>