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The Albany Plan of Union was a plan to place the British North American colonies under a more centralized government. On July 10, 1754, representatives from seven of the British North American colonies adopted the plan. Albany Congress, conference (1754) at Albany, New York, that proposed a union of Britain’s North American colonies for their security and defense against the French, foreshadowing later unification. At the Congress, Benjamin Franklin spearheaded the creation of the Albany Plan. The Albany Plan of Union proposed a single centralized government for the colonies, which would manage common affairs, such as defense, western expansion, and relations with Native Americans. Benjamin Franklin's Albany Plan of Union was a proposal made in 1754 aimed at unifying the Thirteen Colonies for mutual defense against threats, particularly from Native American tribes and French expansion. The Albany Plan of Union was a rejected plan to create a unified government for the Thirteen Colonies at the Albany Congress on July 10, 1754 in Albany, New York. The plan was suggested by Benjamin Franklin, then a senior leader (age 48) and a delegate from Pennsylvania. This Congress consisted of twenty representatives from the American colonies to plan how the colonies could defend themselves. Benjamin Franklin, a senior member of the Congress, suggested the Albany Plan of Union unite the colonies to assist in the colonies’ defense. Championed by Benjamin Franklin, the Albany Plan of Union was the first attempt to organize American colonies under a single government. Plan of a Proposed Union of the Several Colonies of Masachusets-bay, New Hampshire, Coneticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jerseys, Pensilvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, For their Mutual Defence and Security, and for Extending the British Settlements in North America. The Albany Plan of Union offered a novel approach to strengthening both intercolonial and Anglo-American union. The center of the plan was the creation of a Grand Council consisting of representatives from each colony, in proportion to the amount of money it contributed to a common treasury. The Albany Plan of Union was proposed by Benjamin Franklin and called for the formation of a permanent federation of the American colonies. Benjamin Franklin presented his “Short Hints” to the members of the Albany Congress, which led to the Albany Plan of Union.