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Benjamin Franklin was a man before his time, especially when it came to his thoughts on slavery. Although at one time, Franklin dealt in the slave trade and even kept slaves, in a letter written several years later, he "...frankly admits the error of his former beliefs and argues persuasively about the intellectual ability of black people" (Cohen 191). From that point on, Franklin became committed to the abolition of slavery and to helping blacks get an education. He helped to establish schools for black children in several American cities. In 1787, Franklin became the president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, one of the oldest antislavery societies in the United States. It was formed in 1775 by Quakers. During his final years, Franklin was committed to the equal treatment of blacks by whites. In this time, he wrote that "'slavery is...an atrocious debasement of human nature'..." (Cohen 194). He also supported actions that would allow blacks to live as equals with whites (Cohen).
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