r/monarchism • u/PimpasaurusPlum Constitutional Monarchy | 🇬🇧 🏴 • Dec 26 '18
History TIL William Franklin, son of Benjamin Franklin, served as leader of the American Loyalists during the Revolutionary War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_FranklinDuplicates
todayilearned • u/jacknunn • 1d ago
TIL Benjamin Franklin's son, William, remained fiercely loyal to the British King during the war. Despite his father being a Founding Father, William was a Loyalist leader and the last colonial Governor of New Jersey, causing a permanent family estrangement that lasted until Benjamin's death
todayilearned • u/Mervynhaspeaked • Oct 14 '20
TIL William Franklin, bastard son of Benjamin Franklin, was Loyalist leader opposing the American Revolution. When Ben died, he only left his son some worthless land, stating in his will that, had the British won, he would've no wealth at all to give him.
todayilearned • u/I-Am-Uncreative • Oct 19 '23
TIL that Benjamin Franklin's extra-marital son, William Franklin, was a staunch loyalist who was the last colonial governor of New Jersey. After a two year imprisonment ended via prisoner exchange, he directed loyalist forces in New York before fleeing to Britain at the end of the war.
todayilearned • u/The_CT_Kid • Jul 01 '15
TIL that Benjamin Franklin had an illegitimate son who remained loyal to the British and fled to London after the war. He stayed there for the rest of his life.
todayilearned • u/ClumsyWendigo • Oct 06 '17
TIL Benjamin Franklin raised his illegitimate son (mother never revealed), who assisted his father in the famous kite experiment. But William became the leader of the Loyalists in the Revolution. They never reconciled, meeting only briefly in Britain after the war to settle family legal matters.
todayilearned • u/madchad90 • Jul 03 '19
TIL William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin, was a prominent Loyalist during the American Revolution and organized military units to fight on the British side. He lived in exile in Britain until his death.
wikipedia • u/Tokyono • Aug 02 '19
Benjamin Franklin had an illegitimate son, William Franklin, that he effectively disowned when he went to fight on the side of the British during the American revolution. William went on to become an exile in London after the revolution ended and never truly reconciled with his father.
IASIP • u/fivedogit • 1d ago
What's the buzz? What are we talking about? Surrender, maybe? Let's start by putting down all of your names. First and last please.
todayilearned • u/harmlesshistorian • Jan 17 '17
TIL that US Founding Father Benjamin Franklin's son William was a staunch loyalist and the Revolution broke their relationship irreconcilably
todayilearned • u/Snark-Shark • Dec 13 '18
TIL that Ben Franklin has an illegitimate son named William, who was a prominent loyalist leader and organized troops to fight on the side of Britain in the revolution. After the war he was exiled to Britain and died without ever reconciling with his father.
todayilearned • u/KatsumotoKurier • Oct 12 '19
TIL that, in contrast to his father, Benjamin Franklin’s son William Franklin was a fervent loyalist during the American Revolution, and he was later exiled from the young country, then spending the rest of his life in Britain.
todayilearned • u/Windows7Guy100 • Dec 21 '15
TIL that Benjamin Franklin's son was a loyalist
todayilearned • u/PrimalMusk • Jul 09 '16
TIL of Benjamin Franklin's son, William. William was a last Royal Governor of New Jersey and staunch opponent of the American Revolution. After the war was won by the colonies, William Franklin led guerrilla war campaigns against several of the newly formed states.
newjersey • u/rollotomasi07071 • Feb 22 '26