Albany, the capital of the State of New
York.

This is one of the hundreds of fine cities which have grown up in our
country since Henry Hudson's time. A hundred and fifty years ago it was
a small place, not much larger than many of our villages. But even then
it was of importance, for in it was taken the first step towards our
great Union of States. I shall have to tell you what this step was, for
you will certainly want to know.

Well, at the time I speak of there was no such thing as an American
Union. There were thirteen colonies, reaching from New Hampshire down
to Georgia. But each of these was like a little nation of its own; each
had its own government, made its own laws, and fought its own fights.
This was well enough in one way, but it was not so well in another. At
one time the people had the Indians to fight with, at another time the
French, and sometimes both of these together, and many of them thought
that they could do their fighting better if they were united into one
country.

So in the year 1754 the colonies sent some of their best men to Albany,
to talk over this matter, and see if a union of the colonies could not
be made. This is what I meant when I said that the first step towards
the American Union was taken at Albany.

Of these men, there is only one I shall say anything about. This man's
name you should know and remember, for he was one of the noblest and
wisest men that ever lived in this country. His name was Benjamin
Franklin. Forty years before this time he was a little Boston boy at
work in his father's shop, helping him make candles. Afterwards he
learned how to print, and then, in 1723, he went to Philadelphia, where
he soon had a shop and a newspaper office, and in time became rich.

There was nothing going on that Franklin did not take part in. In his
shop he bound books, he made ink, he sold rags, soap, and coffee. He was
not ashamed of honest work, and would take off his coat and wheel his
papers along the street in a wheelbarrow. He started many institutions
in Philadelphia which are now very important. Among these there are a
great university, a large hospital, and a fine library. No doubt you
have read how he brought down the lightning from the clouds along the
string of a kite, and proved that lightning is the same thing as
electricity. And he took an active part in all the political movements
of the time. That is why he came to be sent to Albany in 1754, as a
member of the