City and capital of the
State of New York; the oldest existing town within the domain of the original thirteen States; was first settled by
Dutch traders in 1614, who built a trading-house on
Castle Island, a little below the site of
Albany, and eight years afterwards
Fort Orange was built on that site.
The settlement was called
Fort Orange at first, then Beverswyck, and after the Province of New Netherland passed into the possession of the
English it was called
Albany, the second title of
Duke James, afterwards James II.
of
England.
Albany is yet full of the descendants of its early settlers, and has a large present importance by reason of its trade relations with the
Western and Southern States, promoted by its exceptional shipping facilities by river, railroad,
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and canal.
In 1890 the population was 93,313; in 1900, 94,151.
Albany is especially noted in history because of the colonial conventions held there.
The following is a synopsis of their most important transactions:
First colonial convention.
Thoroughly alarmed by the opening hostilities of the
French and
Indians on the frontiers, the colonies of
Massachusetts,
Plymouth, and
Connecticut sent commissioners to
Albany to hold a conference with the chiefs of the Five Nations, all of whom, excepting the Mohawks, had renewed their covenant of friendship with the
English.
This covenant was renewed June 27, 1689, previous to the arrival of
Count Frontenac in
Canada.
The commissioners held the conference in September following.
They tried to persuade the Five Nations to engage in the war against the
Eastern Indians.
They would not agree to do so, but ratified the existing friendship with the
English colonies.
“We promise,” they said, “to preserve the chain inviolably, and wish that the sun may always shine in peace over al our heads that are comprehended in the chain.”
Second colonial convention.
In the summer of 1748, when news of the preliminary treaty of peace reached the colonies, a convention or congress of colonial governors was called at
Albany for a two-fold purpose: (1) to secure a colonial revenue, and (2) to strengthen the bond of friendship between the Six Nations and their neighbors in the
West, and the
English.
Only
Governors Clinton and
Shirley, two able commissioners from
Massachusetts, and one (
William Bull) from
South Carolina.
were present.
With the latter came the grand sachem and some chiefs of the Catawbas, a nation which had long waged war with the
Iroquois.
There was an immense number of the Six Nations present.
The royal governors failed to gain anything for themselves in the way of a. revenue.
but satisfactory arrangements with the Indians, including the tribes along the southern borders of
Lake Erie, were made.
At that conference the commissioners from
Massachusetts (
Andrew Oliver and
Thomas Hutchinson) presented a memorial for adoption, praying the
King so far to interpose as that, while the
French remained in
Canada, the more southern colonies, which were not immediately exposed to hostilities, might be obliged to contribute in a just proportion towards the expense of protecting the inland portions of New York and
New England.
Clinton and
Shirley signed and approved of the memorial, which was sent with it to the Board of Trade and Plantations.
Third colonial convention.
The kindly attitude manifested towards the
French by the Six Nations excited the jealousy and alarm of the
English, especially of
Governor Clinton, of New York.
As yet, the
Iroquois had never recognized the claim of the
English to dominion over their land, and they were free to act as they pleased.
Clinton called a convention of representatives of the several English-American colonies at
Albany, and invited the Six Nations to send representatives to meet with them.
Only
Massachusetts,
Connecticut, and
South Carolina chose to incur the expense.
Delegates from these colonies met the chiefs of the Six Nations (July 5, 1751) and made a treaty of friendship.
The “
King” of the Catawbas and several chiefs accompanied the
South Carolina delegate (
William Bull), and a peace between that Southern nation and the
Iroquois was settled at the same time.
Fourth colonial convention.
There were indications that the Six Nations, influenced by French emissaries, were becoming alienated from the
English.
The colonists were uneasy, and the
British government, acting upon the advice of the royal governors in
America.
sent a circular letter to all the colonial assemblies, proposing the holding of a convention at
Albany.
to be composed of committees from the several legislatures and representatives of the Six Nations. Seven of the assemblies responded, and on June 19, 1754, twenty-five delegates assembled in the old City Hall at
Albany.
James De Lancey,
acting governor of New York, presided, and he was authorized by the Virginia legislature to represent that colony in the convention.
The chiefs of the Six Nations were there in great numbers, of whom “King Hendrick,” of the Mohawks, was leader.
To the
Indians De Lancey first spoke, and
Hendrick responded in words of bitter reproof of the
English for their neglect of preparations for danger.
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“Look at the
French,” he said; “they are men; they are fortifying everywhere; but, we are ashamed to say it, you are like women, bare and open, without any fortifications.
It is but one step from
Canada hither, and the
French may easily come and turn you out-of-doors.”
But the business with the Six Nations was closed amicably and satisfactorily by a treaty of friendship.
The
Massachusetts delegation was authorized to propose a measure quite as important as a treaty with the Indians.
It was an invitation for the convention to consider the question whether a union of the colonies for mutual defence was not desirable; and they were empowered to agree to articles of union or confederation.
The proposition was favorably received, and a committee, composed of one delegate from each colony, was appointed to draw up a plan.
The fertile brain of
Dr. Benjamin Franklin, a delegate from
Pennsylvania, had conceived a plan before he went to the convention.
It was reported by the committee and adopted by the convention, the
Connecticut delegates alone dissenting.
It proposed a grand council of forty-eight members, to be chosen by the several assemblies, the representatives of each colony to be, in number, in proportion to the contribution of each to the general treasury.
No colony was to have more than seven or less than two members.
This congress was to choose its own speaker and have the general management of all civil and military affairs, and to enact general laws in conformity to the British Constitution.
It proposed to have a president-general, appointed and paid by the crown, who should have a negative or veto power on all acts of the congress, and to have, with the advice and consent of the congress, the appointment of all military officers, and the entire management of Indian affairs; the
civil officers to be appointed by the congress with the approval of the
president-general.
This plan of government bore a strong resemblance to our national Constitution, which
Franklin assisted in framing more than thirty years afterwards.
This plan was submitted to the
Lords of Trade and Plantations.
They did not approve of it, nor recommend it to the
King for consideration.
They thought there was too much
democracy in it. The assemblies did not favor it, because they thought there was too much
prerogutive in it. So it was rejected.
