William and Benjamin Franklin During and After the Revolutionary War.
William remained imprisoned in Connecticut for a little more than two years. He used his past authority as governor to grant pardons to the farmers he met on the outskirts of town. From Middletown, William was marched forty miles to Litchfield where he would remain for eight months. He had been falsely accused of being an enemy to his country. .
Benjamin did not come to William's aide at all. Not even to get him better living conditions while he was in imprisonment. Benjamin gave his Elizabeth money when she needed it, but felt that there were poorer people around her, and that she should be grateful for what little she received. Once Benjamin received the position of one of three commissioners to France, he saw this as an awesome opportunity for William's son Temple, to become an honest republican. Ben's reputation as a scientist and political philosopher got him to France, where he received an upper class role in their society. .
William was released in October of 1778; Elizabeth had already passed away. She had engaged in both enemy and friendly occupations of Perth Amboy, but after tagging along with an army headed to New York, she died soon after. William was left with nothing: no house, no salary, no wife or child, and poor health. He joined a group of .
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loyalists, the Board of Associated Loyalists, who went on raids against any rebels. Meanwhile, Benjamin was working with John Jay and John Adams to negotiate an end to the Revolutionary War. .
Once the war was over, Benjamin went to England in hope of making some changes. There he tried to influence peace negotiations by suggesting provisions in an effort to benefit the American Loyalists, but he was incredibly unsuccessful overall. William tried to make "bygones," with his father, but he still refused to apologize for his position in the war. He begged Benjamin for a "personal interview," but his father wanted nothing to do with him.
