Ben Franklin, Ken Burns, and the Myth of Meritocracy

Timothy Messer-Kruse explores how Benjamin Franklin has served as the epitome of the self-made man and of meritocracy. Why has this myth persisted in the face of facts to the contrary? Messer-Kruse received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Wisconsin and has served as professor of ethnic studies at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He is the author of six books. His forthcoming work examines the 18th century white abolitionist movement using the methodological tools of Critical Race Theory. He is a frequent contributor to Counterpunch, Jacobin, and the Chronicle of Higher Education.