Iroquois Democracy

Lesson Three Activity

ACTIVITY FOR LESSON THREE: The Albany Congress

Introduction: Benjamin Franklin has come to the Albany Congress as a delegate, therefore he is involved in every aspect of this important treaty gathering. Normally, he would have reported the events of this gathering in his paper, Poor Richard's Almanac. Even though he is too busy to write about the Albany Congress himself, he knows from past experience that an account of this gathering will be of great interest to his readers.

Directions: Imagine your team has been hired by Benjamin Franklin to write an article about the Albany Congress for Poor Richard's Almanac. Follow this link to Albany to learn more about the city. When your team is researching this article, remember, Poor Richard's was a popular paper of the day and the readers of this publication would be interested in getting a "behind the scenes" look at what has been happening at Albany. Just as you did in Activity One and Two, you will need to visit the other character sites in order to get the most complete understanding of what was happening behind the scenes during this treaty gathering. Use this Timeline to give students a frame of reference.

Here are some questions you will want to consider when you are researching your article:

  1. What would a reporter for a contemporary magazine such as Time or Newsweek want to know about the people attending the Albany Congress?
  2. What difference is the Albany Congress going to make to the daily life of your reader?
  3. What activity or gathering would your reader want to attend if they were at Albany?
  4. What would your younger readers find interesting about the Albany Congress?
  5. What would your female readers find interesting about the Albany Congress?
  6. What would your male readers find interesting about the Albany Congress?
  7. What affect would the Albany Congress have on your readers' business?
  8. How are your representatives behaving at the Congress? Are they getting the work done that you would expect?

Frontier Characters

 

Consider These Facts of Life
(Averages are from the mid-to late-1700s)

Height
women: 5' 2" (161.0 cm.)
men:5' 6" (172.6 cm.)
 

Marrying age
women: 22
men: 27
 

Household size
non-slaveholder family: 3 whites
slaveholder family: 4.5 whites
slaves per household: 5 blacks
 

Literate adults 
women: 50%
men: 66%
 

Age at death
women:42
men: 45