Art and Slavery at Princeton

Early in his career Franklin owned several slaves as personal servants, and his newspaper regularly ran notices advertising the sale of slaves. After a trip to Europe in 1785, however, Franklin returned home with drastically changed views on slavery. He began publishing pamphlets condemning slavery and, over the course of his career, gradually became known as a vocal abolitionist, serving as president of the Pennsylvania Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage. Franklin believed that the slave trade should be abolished and that slaves already in the country should be freed and integrated into American society. To demonstrate his commitment, he eventually freed his own slaves.