This is a well produced documentary chronicling the life of the statesman, journalist, and inventor Benjamin Franklin.

Topics mentioned in this series include:

— His being born the son of a Puritan candle-maker in Boston in 1706.

— His serving as an apprentice at his brother’s printshop, then running away to Philadelphia at age 17.

— His travels to London, England in 1724 where he lived for a few years.

— His starting the Pennsylvania Gazette Newspaper in Philadelphia in 1728 and also publishing Poor Richard’s Almanac, becoming wealthy by age 35.

— His involvement in planning social improvements for Philadelphia including the paving of its streets, founding libraries, and founding the University of Pennsylvania.

— His invention of the Franklin Stove.

— His involvement in speeding up the Colonial postal system’s delivery of letters.

— His then turning all of his attention to scientific topics such as studying electricity, that led to his invention of the lightning rod which earned him world fame.

— His travels to London again at age 52 with his son who with Franklin’s influence was appointed as the Governor of New Jersey.

— His becoming known as the unofficial spokesperson for the American Colonies and mediator with England.

— His involvement in the American Revolution including signing the Declaration of Independence and the permanent rift created with his son who opposed it.

— His journeying to France in 1776 and staying for four years persuading it to join the Revolutionary War against the British, with the French people being infatuated with him.

— His continuing to make scientific inventions while in France including inventing bifocal eyeglasses.

— [Note: The documentary briefly mentions that Franklin is a “prominent Mason,” but does not go into any detail about the extent of the involvement of Freemasonry in his life story.]

— Franklin being pressured by John Adams and others to sign a peace treaty with the British behind the backs of the French.

— His continuing to write scientific papers after his retirement back in America.

— His becoming an abolitionist activist against the use of slavery in America in 1787.

— His involvement in writing the Constitution of the United States in 1787.

— His death at age 84 in 1790.