The Audio File: Young Ben Franklin

As I've said before, there is no shame in listening to a podcast aimed at kids. A good story is a good story, and it shouldn't matter who the target demographic is. If other people can't see that, then so much the worse for them. With that in mind, let's move on to the podcast we're reviewing today. We're taking a look at Young Ben Franklin.

Benjamin Franklin is one of America's most beloved Founding Fathers. He was many things during his life; statesmen, scientist, inventor, writer, postmaster, satirist, printer. Of course, back in 1720, when he was only fourteen years old, he was just plain old Ben. Ben works as an indentured servant to his brother James in Colonial Boston. Still, he makes the best of his situation. He and his friends get into all sorts of mischief and fun. Then one day he is approached by a girl named Eliza Boyd. She is searching for the great puzzle solver Veracity Quince, who unbeknownst to her is actually Ben is writing under a pseudonym. Ben and the gang agree to help Eliza, but soon find themselves in the middle of a treasure hunt for lost Spanish gold. It's going to take all the wits and cunning they've got, because the governor of New England is also after the gold. He's planning on using it to raise an army and carve out his own kingdom in New England, or failing that, the western territories. The future of America is in the hands of Ben and his friends.

Young Ben Franklin is produced by Gen-Z Media, a podcast company focused on making quality podcasts for kids. They work in association with PRX, the same podcast collective that helps produce great shows like Timestorm and The Truth.

I'd heard of Gen-Z Media because one of their podcasts. No, not Young Ben Franklin, it was another one called The Mayan Crystal. Of course, when I looked at all of their podcasts, I noticed Young Ben Franklin, and I decided that I wanted to start with it. I'm glad that, not only because Young Ben Franklin was so great, but because The Mayan Crystal was so disappointing. I might make an edition of The Audio File dedicated to dissecting what went wrong with The Mayan Crystal, but that's for another day.

One of the things I really liked about Young Ben Franklin is that all of the kids are voiced by actual kids. That is always the ideal that you aim for with these productions. All of the kids are very talented, and I see bright futures for all of them in the world of voice acting. The adults in the cast also give excellent performances. I absolutely love the music used at the start of each episode. You just know you're in for an epic adventure when the music begins to swell.

Young Ben Franklin is primarily intended to entertain, but it does manage to slip on real facts about Benjamin Franklin's life. However, it also plays a bit fast and loose, at times, with the real history. So let's talk about that. Well, first off, Benjamin Franklin really did write columns as the fictional housewife Silence Dogood and the fictional puzzle solver Veracity Quince. He used the columns as a way to covertly express his views on various subjects. However, he did so when he was sixteen, not fourteen. A bit off, but not terribly far from the mark. Both of these columns were incredibly popular with the general public. In fact, several eligible bachelors from throughout Boston sent marriage proposals to Silence Dogood.

The governor that Ben and his friend are squaring-off against is named Archibald. However, no such Governor of Massachusetts by that name existed in our world. In 1720, the Governor of Massachusetts was William Tailor. There are also multiple references to the common myth that Benjamin Franklin flew a kite with a key on it in a thunderstorm to attract a bolt of lightning. Much like George Washington and the cherry tree, there is no historical evidence that this ever happened. However, Benjamin Franklin did experiment with electricity. In fact, one of his favorite party games was to have everyone hold hands in a circle while an electric current was passed between them. Another time, he attempted to dazzle his guest by killing, cleaning, and cooking a live turkey using electricity. However, he got the wiring wrong and instead gave himself a massive jolt of electricity, but he was unharmed.

Jumping ahead, but the series ends with Ben preparing to depart for either New York or Philadelphia. He decides this by flipping a coin, but we never find out what it lands on. Of course, if you know your history, you'll know he chose Philadelphia. Slight problem though, because the podcast is set in 1720, while Ben left for Philadelphia in 1723. Also, he and his brother part on amiable terms, with Eliza taking over as James' apprentice. In real life, Ben ran-away from home when he was sixteen. Also, Eliza, and Ben's other friends, are totally fictional characters with no basis in reality. Ben plans on arriving to his destination by catching a ride on a ship. For reference, Pennsylvania is a landlocked state, apart from a bit of it's northwest that boarders Lake Erie. Though, I suppose that he could ride up the river to Philadelphia.

There also a scene in the first episode where Ben steals some copper bars for a science experiment. He does so by tying a giant kite to his back and gliding onto the ship the bars are on. Besides that fact that this obviously never happened in our world, I'm not sure it could have. I mean, it would have to be a gargantuan kite to life a teenage boy off the ground, and that's not even getting into how steering would work. So apparently, in the show's universe, Benjamin Franklin was so awesome he could bend the laws of physics to his will. And he was apparently a teenage ninja on-top of everything else he did.

However, these mistakes might be intentional. If so, there's actually a pretty brilliant justification for them. The series is narrated by an old Benjamin Franklin looking back on his youthful adventures. As such, these various mistakes could be Old Ben misremembering the details. Alternatively, he could be embellishing, exaggerating, or outright fabricating certain details to make the story sound more impressive. Granted, there isn't really anything within the show itself that would support this interpretation. The closest we get are the little bits at the end where Old Ben reads the show credits, and talks about some of the other shows Gen-Z Media has to offer. They're fun, but certainly aren't mean to be canonical within the main show.

Now all of this being said, Young Ben Franklin does all get a fair number of things right. For example, I liked how it gave a focus on indentured servitude. Indenturing was a fairly common practice in the 17th and 18th centuries. Basically, you would sign a contract agreeing to work as a servant to someone for a set number of years, after which you'd be given your freedom. It was common for those who could not afford passage to America to come as indentured servants. Several of my ancestors on my mom's side of the family came to America as indentured servants. Well, technically they came when it was known as England's colonies in the New World, and then British North America, but you know what I mean. Many poor people who otherwise would face starvation chose to be indentured. For example, many Scottish people came to America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand as indentured servant following the Highland Clearances of the 18th Century.

If indenturing sounds a bit like slavery-lite, well, that's because it kind of was. Now, obviously indentured servants had far more rights than slaves, but that didn't mean their lives were free form hardship. They often endured grueling work, often under the care of cruel masters. The contracts of indenturing theoretically protected them, but the terms were often vague. For example, many stated that master must provide servants with clothing, but never specified what kind of clothing. Many masters took that to mean they only had to give rags to their servants. Servants could take their masters to court, but the threat of physical violence and intimidation from their master often dissuaded them from doing so. Master also routinely cut corners when it came to providing food, and indentured servants arriving by ship had to ride below deck with the cargo.

Benjamin Franklin was indeed an indentured servant in his youth, and it isn't hard to see hid disdain for the institution. In fact, Ben's plan for the gold is to use it to buy the freedoms of all the indentured servants in New England. Another point of accuracy is that Ben peppers his speech with several saying that Benjamin Franklin did indeed use in his writing. Many people use his saying without realizing their source. Many of them derive from his famous work Poor Richard's Almanac.

To name just a few examples: Don't throw stones at your neighbors if your windows are glass. No gains without pain. Haste makes waste. Lost time is never found again. Well done is better than well said. When you are good to others, you are best to yourself. Beer is proof that God wants us to be happy. Hide not your talents, for they were made to be used. What is a sundial without shade?

Not related to historical accuracy, but I loved that one of Ben's friends is named Sam. His other two are named Ned and John. Despite the predominately male cast, Eliza, and the governor's daughter Constance, play significant roles in the story. Eliza acts as Ben's eyes and ears inside the governor's mansion, where she works as a servant, and Constance also helps slip important information to Ben and the gang. Eliza also frequently sneaks along whenever Ben and company go on a mission to break into various locations. I should also say that I like that there were good British characters, such as Constance, so the series avoided falling into the trap of good Americans vs evil British so common in media related to the American War of Independence. You also don't really get too many works of fiction set in Colonial America apart from Jamestown, The Pilgrims, or The Salem Witch Trials. As such, Young Ben Franklin was a nice change of pace.

As previously stated, the series ends with all of the major plot threads wrapped up, but leaves open the possibility of future seasons. Though it doesn't seem that there are an more seasons on the horizon. I think that this was intentional, as that way it would encourage kids to read more about the real Benjamin Franklin, and to learn about the facts behind the fiction. Still, we should be glad for the amazing season that we did get. Fun fact, Young Ben Franklin was released, fittingly enough, in its entirety on July 4th, 2018.

Well there you have it. Young Ben Franklin occasionally bends the truth, but it is still a great series about the youth of one of America's most beloved Founding Fathers. It is aimed at kids, but can be enjoyed by all ages. I happily recommend it.

Well, that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.