Final answer:
Benjamin Franklin’s purpose in presenting the petition to Congress was to foster a national debate about the morality of slavery, in light of the principles of liberty and equality underlying the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
What was Benjamin Franklin’s purpose in presenting the petition from the Pennsylvania Society to Congress? Benjamin Franklin’s primary purpose in presenting the petition from the Pennsylvania Society to Congress was A. To open a healthy national debate about the morality of slavery. By the late 18th century, the anti-slavery sentiment had been growing among certain American colonies, notably within the Quaker community. Activists like John Woolman and Anthony Benezet called upon their community to reject slavery as a sin.
Franklin himself was an advocate for abolition by the time he presented the petition. The slavery compromises during the Constitutional Convention had already set the stage for future contention, and Franklin's petition was aimed at encouraging a national discussion to reconcile the principles of the American Revolution with the continued existence of slavery.Franklin and many others saw the irony in fighting for liberty while upholding slavery. By presenting the petition to Congress, Franklin was contributing to the foundational debate on whether the principles of liberty and equality should be extended to all people, including African slaves, setting a precedent for future emancipation efforts.