Philadelphia: The Great Experiment

tv show

poster for Philadelphia: The Great Experiment

14 total episodes

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1 seasons

First Aired April 06, 2012

Overview

A 14-part documentary series covering the history of Philadelphia, William Penn's great utopian experiment, from founding to today.

Franklin's Spark (1720-1765) poster unavailable

Franklin's Spark (1720-1765)

Season 1 - Episode 3 - 0h 0m

Air Date

January 08, 2015

Overview

Benjamin Franklin is Philadelphia's most iconic citizen, but how did William Penn's city shape the man often called "The First American"? This episode follows Franklin from his arrival as a fugitive indentured servant to his emergence as a leader of craftsmen, civic innovator, media pioneer, politician, and the force behind America's greatest Enlightenment city. But all around Franklin, slavery drives the city's prosperity. Sampson, enslaved to Governor James Logan, strikes out for freedom, forcing Quaker power brokers to wrestle with the great evil of their times. And soon, Philadelphia's peaceful charter will face its greatest test, as a violent frontier conflict threatens to explode in the city's streets.