Benjamin Franklin's son, William Franklin, was a devout Loyalist. The younger Franklin was born in Philadelphia in 1731 to Benjamin and an unnamed mother. Historians believe his mother was either Benjamin's common law wife, Deborah Read, or a prostitute. The whole situation was covered up as neither scenario was good for the son of an influential politician.
William is correctly depicted as helping his father with the famous kite experiment which proved conduction of electricity. He is, however, incorrectly depicted as a small child. William was 21 and earned a master's degree for the achievement.
Things were going well for father and son until the American Revolution broke out. Benjamin became one of the leading voices of the Patriots. William was Royal Governor of New Jersey and stuck by the crown. For his efforts, he was arrested in 1776. Upon his release in 1778, he led a group called the Associated Loyalists. The Associated Loyalists went to General Henry Clinton and asked for custody of a Continental officer named Joshua Huddy. They told Clinton they would exchange Huddy for a high ranking British officer; instead they hung him. Clinton was infuriated and thus ended the political career of William Franklin.
William and Ben lived estranged for most of their adult lives. William moved to England and had a meeting with his father in 1785. The meeting was brief and really tied up financial ends more than reconnected the two. Ben never forgot his son, however, dedicating his autobiography to William by starting with, "Dear Son."
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