This distinguished film traces the interlocking careers of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, two men who, in large part, helped shape the course of American history. Spanning the 120 years before and after American independence, it begins with the year of Franklin's birth and ends with the death of Jefferson. Focusing on their characters, philosophies and accomplishments, the film sets the major events of each man's life against the cultural, social and economic background of Colonial and Revolutionary America. Made in cooperation with the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, THE WORLD OF FRANKLIN AND JEFFERSON is narrated by Orson Welles and Nina Foch.