Did Ben Franklin have kids with his slaves? There is no credible historical evidence that Benjamin Franklin had children with his slaves. Franklin owned slaves early in life, two slaves named Peter and Jemima in 1750s, but no records indicate he fathered children with enslaved women. Franklin had illegitimate son William Franklin born around 1730 before marriage, mother unknown, possibly servant woman Barbara Rogers, but not enslaved woman. Rumors about founders having children with slaves most famously apply to Thomas Jefferson with Sally Hemings, confirmed by DNA, but not Franklin. Franklin later became abolitionist and freed his slaves. Historians have found no evidence of Franklin having children with slaves, and his known children are Sarah Franklin Bache with wife Deborah Read, and William Franklin illegitimate son with unknown non enslaved mother. So did Franklin have kids with his slaves, no historical evidence supports that claim, it appears to be confusion with other founders, and Franklin's documented children are not from enslaved women.
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