The Albany Congress, 1754
Allyn Cox
Oil on Canvas
1973-1974
Great Experiment Hall
Cox Corridors
In 1754 the British government asked colonial representatives to meet in Albany, New York, to develop a treaty with Native Americans and plan the defense of the colonies against France. Exceeding these limited objectives, the assembly adopted a plan developed by Benjamin Franklin for government of the colonies by a central executive and a council of delegates. Although rejected by England and the colonies, the Albany Plan became a useful guide in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War. The mural depicts some of the delegates (from left to right): William Franklin and his father, Benjamin (Pennsylvania); Governor Thomas Hutchinson (Massachusetts); Governor William Delancey (New York); Sir William Johnson (Massachusetts); Colonel Benjamin Tasker (Maryland).
Left: The blacksmith symbolizes the importance of iron-working in the mid-18th century.
Right: The farmer with his scythe represents the growth of agriculture in the colonies.
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