Albany Plan

What it is

The Albany Plan was a document drafted in 1754 by Benjamin Franklin, a delegate from Pennsylvania, at the Albany Congress during the French and Indian War. It proposed a general government for the colonies, with a President-General appointed by the Crown and a Grand Council chosen by the colonial assemblies.

Why it matters

Though rejected by both the colonial assemblies and British officials, the plan was an early attempt at colonial union. Franklin drew on his observations of the Haudenosaunee system of government. It is remembered as a forerunner of the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution, showing Franklin thinking about colonial cooperation long before the Revolution.

Look closer

• Why might colonies have worried about giving up power to a central council?
• What does Franklin's plan borrow from Native American political systems?
• Why do you think the British rejected a plan that also gave them some control?