The Albany Plan of Union 1754

by Jo Battistella

A full twenty-two years before the Declaration of Independence was written, Benjamin Franklin proposed the idea of a central government for the colonies. From June 19 to July 11, 1754 representatives from seven of the thirteen colonies met in Albany, New York. Their purpose was to discuss how to promote better relations between the colonies and the Native Americans and the threat presented by the French to the north of the colonies in Canada.
Benjamin Franklin, of Pennsylvania, met with representatives from Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. He suggested the creation of a “unified level of colonial government", The body approved a union of 11 colonies with a president who was appointed by the British Crown. The colonies would have between 2 and 7 representatives who would picked by the colonies. However, when the representatives went back to their individual colonies the plan was rejected as each colony preferred to stick with their own charter.

Some of the main concepts put forth in the plan are included here:
1. The crown would appoint a President-General to lead a group of
representatives chosen by the representatives of the colonies decided by the
same proportions as the colony populations.
2. Said assembly would meet in Philadelphia as soon as possible.
3. The President-General, with the advice of the Grand Council would direct
Indian policies including regulating trade.
4. The body would be responsible for the purchase and settlement of all land
not yet part of the colonies.
5. The body would make laws for regulating and governing new settlements till
the crown shall think them ready to form their own governments.
6. The body would raise and pay soldiers and build forts to defend the
Colonies.
7. They shall have power to make laws and leview such as duties, imposts, or
taxes which must be equal and just.

The ideas, however, lived on and many of them were the foundations of the
Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. Benjamin Franklin speculated in
1789 that the colonies might not have separated from England so soon if the 1754
plan had been adopted

Works Cited:
Albany Plan of Union : 1754." Avalon Project - Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy,
29 Dec. 1998, avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/albany.asp.
Albany Plan." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 14 Oct. 2007