[Music]
[Applause]
I still I
know the truth will rise and
fall that's just
to a word now to the
wise the world was made each is a
surprise looking at life my own eyes I'm
searching for a hero don't idolize
feeling the pain as
innocent
looking my I take my heart battle give
that freedom battle get my Independence
de C it on the D line for your freedom
bring and patriotic voices singed white
blue never give up you represent America
opening for a brigh day I listen to my
heart and I oby how can I see it any
other way I'm looking at
my
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
my today on Liberty's
Kids he called Dr Franklin a fraud and
the
blue Library philosophy College almanacs
all very amusing but my money is no
longer worth anything I'm tired of this
w*r and Ben Franklin as much as any
other man started us on this road to
[Music]
ruin dearest mother as my long journey
ends
and I approach Dr Franklin's
Philadelphia I grow increasingly uneasy
though I believe deeply that I am where
I belong the pain of so recently leaving
both you and father is I must admit
difficult to bear
[Music]
I'm embarrassed to say it but I feel
ever so alone
[Music]
w
h and what of my friends here what will
James Moses and on re think of me
[Music]
now probably that I'm a silly girl who
keeps changing her mind about who she
really is
[Music]
Moses
[Music]
oh slow down
James prices are still so high Moses I
don't see how we can Moses
Sarah uh hi
[Laughter]
Sarah Sarah what why because I finally
you realized something I realized I am
an American welcome
[Music]
home well it's about time isn't it James
I feel so wonderful even you can't ruin
it what hey aren't you glad to see me
H I have so much to tell you about John
Paul Jones and England and mother and
Parliament and two ocean Journeys with
the worst food I ever ate and H where's
HRI I thought that that's it hey gotop
it take it back now
you are a liar am not stop it both of
you
Sarah do
[Music]
not put me down I'm going to tell my
[Music]
father he got Dr Franklin a fraud and a
blue hard Onre he's just saying that to
make you angry I am not well if he is
it's
working stop it
now now how did this start when Charles
said bad things about Dr Franklin I said
take it back or else he wouldn't so I
taught him a lesson he'll never
forget H doesn't Charles have the right
to his own opinion even if you disagree
with it
yes but that's part of being free
haven't you learned anything from Moses
and Dr Franklin I guess then maybe you
should apologize for starting the fight
I'm sorry I punched you first but you're
wrong about Dr Franklin I am not stop
shouting why do you think Dr Franklin is
a fraud and a blo hard I don't know my
dad told me I want to show you
something look around Charles what do
you
see junk see in a way he's right HRI it
used to be junk until Dr Franklin got
his hands on it did you know Ben
Franklin is an inventor No Moses play
for him play for me
[Music]
please TR
fine fine all right
then how do you do that this is an
invention of Dr Franklin's called the
glass
armonica see how the different sized
glass bowls turn together as I rotate
the crank and when I touch the edge of
one of the
[Music]
[Applause]
bows thank you
kindly Moses tell tell him about
this do you know what this key did
Charles uh unlock the door to the crown
jewels not exactly but it opened another
door to a new world of
[Music]
electricity it was in 1752 when Dr
Franklin was 46 years old
as soon as any of the thunder clouds
come over the kite the pointed wire will
draw the electric fire from them when
the rain has wet the twine so that it
can conduct the electric fire freely you
will find it stream out plentifully from
the key on the approach of your
knuckle he caught Sparks so what for one
thing in case you don't believe Dr
Franklin is a man of Courage the next
man who tried the same experiment
died and what a discovery Dr Franklin
made as we learned to control those
Sparks we'll be able to use their energy
to power boats oh Drive carriages
without horses or even help to cook
Charles Dr Franklin tried it once like
many scientific experiments it did not
work out well it was 2 days before
[Music]
Christmas Dr Franklin was hosting a
dinner party demonstration this evening
my Dr Franklin's inventions are
fascinating so verying I have a Frankin
[Music]
their
[Music]
IDE he did not like to see an animal
suffer needlessly and hope to use
electricity to end its life
[Music]
[Music]
[Applause]
painlessly Dr Franklin let me help oh my
are you all right oh yes perfectly
fine I want to try that yeah absolutely
not electricity can be very
dangerous James's parents died in a fire
started by an electrical
storm to prevent fire started by
lightning Ben invented this
a lightning
[Music]
rod with Ben's new device attached to
the roof the lightning bolt was
attracted to the point of the rock the
electricity traveled down a copper wire
into the ground of course in Ben's house
he sent the charge through an apparatus
that rang some small bells in a large
storm the bells could ring for hours
[Music]
I want to invent things like Dr Franklin
someday me too I wish I had a fancy
education like he did fancy
education let me tell you about Ben's
fancy
education what kind of lies are you
filling my son's head with
[Music]
come here
Charles they're not lies sir would you
like to hear for yourself I insist on
hearing for myself so I can be sure to
correct them Charles just told us Dr
Franklin had a fancy education wonder
where the kid heard that sir that is
simply not the case
Dr Franklin grew up in Boston directly
across from Old South Church in a home
filled to bursting with 12 brothers and
sisters Ben was crushed to learn his
family could no longer afford to send
him to class he was 9 years
old like this father his father put him
to work in the family business making
[Music]
candles Ben spent the money he earned on
his greatest love
[Music]
books Ben Franklin had no fancy
education Charles Ben Franklin taught
himself does your family borrow books
from the library company of Philadelphia
Charles of course Ben Franklin founded
it along with the American philosophical
Society the union Fire Company the
College of Philadelphia and the
Pennsylvania Hospital Charles Have You
Ever Had The Misfortune to be sick or
injured never the boy's strong like his
father you're both Lucky and if you
lived in the days before Dr Franklin
founded that hospital being healthy
would have made you even
[Music]
luckier many poor ill and insane people
were reduced to wandering the Streets of
Philadelphia it was a terrible situation
[Music]
now in the Pennsylvania Hospital there's
a place for the
sick just as importantly people started
learning how to be doctors this awful
w*r gave them a chance to learn
firsthand about the human body
[Music]
seeking to ease the terrible suffering
they've taken to the
battlefields there they've been
confronted with every injury and
sickness you could imagine and then
[Music]
some thanks to our doctor's Newfound
experience people are being cured of
illnesses and healed from injuries and
ways that were never possible
before Mr Montgomery did you ever read
Dr Franklin's Poor Richard's
Almanac Dr Franklin published the first
edition of Poor Richard's Almanac when
he was 26 years
old it contained all the usual weather
reports recipes and predictions what set
it apart were the Lively writing and
Woody sayings a penny saved is a a penny
earned there are no gains without
pains a learned Blockhead is a greater
Blockhead than an ignorant
one he that lies down with dogs shall
rise up with
fleas Library philosophy College
almanacs all very amusing but my money
is no longer worth anything I'm tired of
this w*r and Ben Franklin as much as any
other man started us on this road to
ruin
[Music]
Mr Montgomery you have to understand
where Dr Franklin's deep commitment to
Freedom comes from he wrote in 1717 my
brother James returned from England with
a press and letters to set up his
business in Boston I signed IND Dentures
when I was but 12 years old to serve as
an apprentice for the next 9 years of my
life presenting this week's issue of the
New England
current featur ing the latest column by
Mrs silence do good listen I reflected
in my mind on the extreme Folly of those
parents who blind to their children's
dullness and insensible of the solidity
of their skulls will needs send them to
the Temple of learning by which she
meant Harvard
College isn't that hilarious it's very
funny all I'd love to know who this
sharp tongue lady really is
James I am Mrs silence do good I've been
writing that column and slipping it
under the door in the middle of the
night watching everyone laugh at my
words but never being able to take
credit for them do you know how that
[Music]
feels James grew increasingly a*usive
with his 17-year-old
brother aren't you finished yet I don't
want to be here all night I'm hurrying
I'm
[Music]
hurrying you idiot you did that on
purpose it was an accident I don't
believe you and I've had enough of your
[Music]
disrespect Dr Franklin left soon
after he never for got his brother's
harsh and tyrannical treatment Mr
Montgomery that's what Dr Franklin got
that aversion to arbitrary power which
that has stuck to me through my whole
life it's also one of the reasons he's
taken such a strong stand against
sl*very sl*very is the economic
Foundation of our Southern States and
many of us in the north have made our
profits from sl*ve labor too with all
respect sir whoever freed you made a
mistake that said I admit you do make
solid points about Benjamin
Franklin you are entitled to your
opinion about sl*very sir though by what
you say you would deny me
mine where's Charles where's my son and
where's HRI
[Music]
out I can't control
[Music]
him
H Sarah I almost didn't get to hear you
tell me about your trip
[Music]
Moses thank you sir I am glad you are a
free man you are welcome and I hope
someday you will say that to an African
man who did not just save the life of
your son
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
deest Jame Sarah and HRI I know you wish
you could see me but as you can't I will
describe myself to you figure me in your
mind as Jolly as formerly and as strong
and Hearty only a few years
older very plainly dressed wearing my
thin gray straight hair that peeps out
from under my fine fur cap think how
this must appear on the powdered heads
of
Paris still they mob
[Music]
me on behalf of the British clown I
would be most good
evening I don't believe it
s b
[Music]
C viren Ben Franklin At Your Service Dr
Franklin what a surprise welcome to
Versa a man of my years is happy to be
welcomed
anywhere but I tell you this there have
been unknown people as great as any of
the most
famous however my dear friends if if you
would not be forgotten as soon as you
are dead and rotten either write things
worth reading or do things worth writing
and children I am quite certain that you
[Music]
shall through my searching for a hero to
ID feeling the pain as
inocent looking at life my
I take my heart battle give that freedom
get
my it on the line blue never up you
represent America
[Music]
[Laughter]
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01x30 - In Praise of Ben
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Benjamin Franklin and four fictional associates experience the American Revolution.
Benjamin Franklin and four fictional associates experience the American Revolution.