Albany Plan of Union
plan proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 that aimed to unite the 13 colonies for trade, military, and other purposes; the plan was turned down by the colonies and the Crown
The Albany Plan of Union was a proposal put forth in 1754 by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Hutchinson, which aimed to create a unified colonial government to better defend British North America against French encroachment during the Seven Years’ War. The plan called for the colonies to unite under a central government, with a president-general appointed by the British Crown and a colonial council chosen by local legislatures. The proposed government would have had the power to regulate relations with Native American tribes, make treaties with foreign powers, and regulate trade and taxation throughout the colonies.
While the Albany Plan of Union ultimately failed to gain the necessary support from colonial legislatures, it was a significant moment in the lead-up to the American Revolution, as it represented one of the first attempts at unifying the disparate British colonial governments into a single entity. The idea of a centralized colonial government would continue to be debated in the years to come, and would help to shape the ideas of American independence and federalism that emerged during the Revolutionary War and afterward.
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