The Selection of Ben Franklin for The Albany Congress

In the mid 18^th century, the American colonies were experiencing a lot of tension. The colonists were traveling west to gather land and resources. This land and these resources were already being competed for by the French, the British, and the Native Americans. As this was occurring in the Ohio River Valley, conflicts were regular and there was a growing realization among the colonists that unity would be necessary to solve this issue. With this in mind, a congress comprised of figures from the colonies was assembled and Ben Franklin was a senior member of this congress later called the Albany Congress. This fact draws interest because the senior members of the Albany congress were not voted into their roles. Ben Franklin was selected for his role in the Albany congress because of his notoriety in politics with a vision for unity and his many connections in the colonies. Knowing more about this topic could give a better perspective into the innerworkings of reputations and relationships among political minds and the citizens of the colonies. This is valuable information because knowing why leaders took specific actions and why citizens followed them is just as important as the actions and events themselves.