Essays of Benjamin Franklin

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1752429486

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-127700

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Franklin, Benjamin http://d-nb.info/gnd/118534912

Title:: Essays of Benjamin Franklin

Place of publication:: New York

Publisher:: G. P. Putnam's Sons

Year of publication:: 1927

Scope:: xi, 273 Seiten

Digitisation:: 2021

Collection:: Economics Books

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: I. Plan for settling two western colonies in North America, with reason for the plan

Collection:: Economics Books

Benjamin Franklin [1755 edly (perhaps in less than another century) become a populous and powerful dominion *; and a great accession of power either to England or France. The French are now making open encroachments on those territories, in defiance of our known rights; and, if we longer delay to settle that country, and army to repel their invasions. He pursued this favorite object for many years; and after he went to England a company was formed under his auspices, who petitioned for a grant to settle a colony west of the Allegany Mountains. Many obstacles were encountered, but the application was at last successful. The scheme was prevented from being carried into effect by the troubles immediately preceding the revolution. The following paper was probably written shortly after the Albany Convention, in 1754, at the request of Governor Pownall, who had a project for settling what he called “barrier colonies.”’ He presented a memorial to the Duke of Cumberland on this subject in the year 1756, in which he says: “If the English would advance one step further, or cover them- selves where they are, it must be at once, by one large step over the mountains, with a numerous and military colony. Where such should be settled, I do not take upon me to say; at present I shall only point out the measure and the nature of it, by inserting two schemes, one of Dr. Franklin's, the other of your memorialist; and if I might indulge myself with scheming, I should imagine that two such were sufficient, and only requisite and proper; one at the back of Virginia, filling up the vacant space between the Five Nations and southern confederacy, and connecting into one system our barrier; the other somewhere in the Cohass on Connecticut River, or wherever best adapted to cover the New England colonies. These, with the little settlements mentioned above in the Indian countries, complete my idea of this branch.”’—Administration of the Colonies, 4th ed., Append. p. 43. When this memorial, with Franklin’s plan, was presented, the whole country was too much involved in the war with the French and Indians, to allow any scheme of this sort to be matured; the peace followed, when the occasion for them was less pressing; and the revo- lution opened the way to other methods of attaining the same object. —SPARKS. I This prediction has been verified in a much less time than even the author anticipated. rf Te x

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