The Albany Congress was a meeting of representatives of seven colonies held in Albany, New York, to propose a form of union under the British government that is sometimes held as a precedent for the Stamp Act Congress (1765), First Continental Congress (1774), Second Continental Congress (1775), and the formation of the United States. The British North American colonies were notoriously independent of one another. Little tied them together in the 18th century other than their connection to Great Britain. In 1754, as war loomed with the French, New York lieutenant governor James De Lancey invited representatives from several colonies to meet to discuss their relationship with the all-important Iroquois.

In a conflict with France, the Iroquois, located in what is now upstate New York, held a crucial balance of power. The idea was to come up with a consistent policy shared by all colonies to guarantee that the Iroquois would not be too aggrieved and join the French. Albany was chosen as the location of this meeting because it had been a traditional seat for diplomatic discussions with the Iroquois. Seven colonies sent delegates: New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Theyanonguin (Chief Hendrick) presented the Iroquois grievances to the congress, which included the taking of Mohawk land, too much rum being provided to Native Americans, encroachments by Virginia and Pennsylvania on Iroquois lands in the west, and continued Albany trade with the French. The delegates denied all of these grievances and, not surprisingly, did not come to an agreement concerning their relationship with the Iroquois. They did, however, recognize an impending crisis with the French and advocated preparing more defenses on the frontier, the creation of one Indian superintendent, and royal control over the acquisition of Native American land. They also drew up a proposal for an intercolonial union, under the protective umbrella of the British Crown, called the Albany Plan. Following the leadership of men such as Benjamin Franklin from Pennsylvania and Thomas Hutchinson from Massachusetts, the delegates suggested that external policy, such as negotiations with Native Americans and issues of defense, be the province of a grand council elected by the colonial assemblies. Under the plan there would also be a president-general appointed by the king.

No colonial assembly ever ratified the Albany plan,and nothing substantial ever came out of it. In fact, during the French and Indian War (1754-63) that followed, the colonies continued to go their own way, often frustrating British efforts to prosecute the war. Some scholars argue that the plan was heavily influenced by the example of the Iroquois Confederation. These scholars therefore trace North American constitutionalism to Native American roots. Most academics question this connection on two grounds. First, they are not convinced that Benjamin Franklin and others were influenced by the Iroquois. Second, many scholars do not believe that the Albany Plan had any impact on the forms of government that came out of the American Revolution.

Bibliography:

Fred Anderson, Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766 (New York: Vintage, 2000)

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