How many slaves did Charles Pinckney own?

Written by Editorial Team | Last Updated: August 2026

Benjamin Franklin, one of the foremost Founding Fathers of the United States, lived during an era when chattel slavery was widely practiced in colonial Pennsylvania, and he personally held enslaved domestic servants early in his life. Historical records, newspaper advertisements for runaways, and personal account books show that Franklin owned a small number of enslaved individuals—typically two to three people (such as servants named Peter and Othello)—who worked in his Philadelphia household. However, Franklin's views evolved significantly over time; by the late 1750s he began opposing the slave trade, and in his later years he became an outspoken abolitionist, freeing his remaining bondspeople.

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