He petitioned Congress to abolish slavery. In February 1790, Franklin wrote to the legislature, “Mankind are all formed by the same Almighty Being, alike objects of his care, and equally designed for the enjoyment of happiness.” He argued that Congress had a duty to establish “the blessings of liberty…to all people living in the United States…without distinction of color.” Specifically citing enslaved Africans, Franklin urged that Congress grant “liberty to those unhappy men who alone in this land of freedom are degraded into perpetual bondage.” Congress balked and members from southern states harshly denounced Franklin, declaring slavery a God-given system. (Rue Des Archives/Granger, NYC)