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Laszlo Nagy

APUSH

Mr. Jones

6 October 2017

One of the largest problems in the colonies was the lack of unity amongst the separate colonies.

Each colony focused on improving themselves with little regard for any of their neighboring colonies.

This self-centeredness created great difficulties when attempting to get the colonies to work together.

Many attempts at unifying colonies and colonists were successful for a short period of time and

eventually all collapsed. Although they failed in keeping the colonies unified, they succeeded in showing

that the unification of the colonies was possible.

The first attempts at unifying the colonies was done mainly to ensure protection for every colony

and colonist from all enemies. The very first attempt at unifying colonists was made by the pilgrims of

Plymouth. The pilgrims wrote the Mayflower Compact on November 11, 1620 which was the first written

agreement that created and enforced self-government, rule of law, and a majority rules system in

America. The Mayflower Compact stated, We do by these present, solemnly and mutually, in the

presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for

our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid... (Doc 1). The signing of the

Mayflower Compact showed that the colonists were willing to work together if it meant that they would

be treated equally and justly both by their neighbors and the law. The unification of settlements and

colonies on the basis of equality and protection became quite common. The Fundamental Orders of

Connecticut brought together the Connecticut settlements of Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield to

maintain the peace and union. By signing of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut the three

settlements agreed to, ...order and dispose of the affairs of the people at all seasons as occasion shall
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require; therefore associate and conjoin ourselves to be as one public state or commonwealth... and

...enter into combination and confederation together, to maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of

the Gospel of our Lord Jesus which we now profess, (Doc 2). The Mayflower Compact united the

pilgrims of Plymouth to solely protect their liberty and equality. These Connecticut settlements were

united not exactly on the basis of ensuring their liberty and equality, but rather on the basis that the

government would take care of problems they encountered and that their religion would be protected from

oppression and impurity. Some agreements, like the New England Confederation were created only as a

defense pact. The Articles of this confederation stated that, ...the charge of all just wars, whether

offensive or defensive, upon what part or member of this Confederation soever they fall...be borne by all

parts of this Confederation, (Doc 3). It also stated that if any jurisdiction or plantation under their

protection were to be attacked, ...the rest of the Confederates without any further meeting or

expostulation shall forthwith send aid to the Confederate in danger, (Doc 3). The Articles of the New

England Confederation mentioned nothing about protecting peoples liberties because it was created only

to provide aid to colonies within it if they were to be attacked. The Mayflower Compact, the Fundamental

Orders of Connecticut, and The New England Confederation all offer protection of some sorts to the

colonists and colonies under them, but none of them list specific duties, powers, or rights that the colonies

have unlike later plans of colony unification would.

Some of the later plans of unification would include a list of powers and duties that the colonies

involved possessed. The first of these larger plans was William Penns Plan of Union which briefly

explained how the colonies of Boston, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,

Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas could be more useful to each other. The plan proposed several

duties that would force the colonies to work together and help each other out. The Plan of Union listed,

That the several colonies before mentioned do meet...at least once in two years in times of peace...to

debate and resolve of such measures as are most advisable for their better understanding and the public
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tranquillity and safety, and, ...to consider the ways and means to support the union and safety of these

provinces against the public enemies, (Doc 4). Alongside these requirements, the plan also created a

congress made up of two representatives from each province. This ambitious plan showed qualities of a

constitution in ways and ideas of self-governance. Almost sixty years later, the Albany Plan of Union was

written by Benjamin Franklin. This plan included powers for the colonies that focused much more on

self-governance than Penns Plan of Union did. Franklins plan included powers such as the ability to,

raise and pay soldiers and build forts for the defense of any of the colonies... and, That for these

purposes they have the power to make laws, and lay and levy such general duties, imposts, or taxes, as to

them shall appear most equal and just, (Doc 5). The Albany Plan of Union proposed a general

government in America that would be more self-governed than previous colony governments have been.

After the smaller attempts at colony unification, Penn and Franklins plans included lists that provided the

colonies specific duties and powers that would allow them to be self-governed and therefore more useful

to the crown and the included colonies.

Every attempt at unifying the colonies and their colonists in the 17th and early 18th centuries

failed. Their relatively short existences however did prove that the colonies were fully capable of uniting

for their own good. The only factor that broke these unifications were the differences in their ideas of how

people should be governed and how much power the states and the national government should get.

Benjamin Franklin believed the colonies could be united when he said, I should hope, too, that by such a

union the people of Great Britain and the people of the colonies would learn to consider themselves as not

belonging to different community with different interests but to one community with one interest, which I

imagine, would contribute to strengthen the whole and greatly lessen the danger of future separations,

(Doc 7). The colonies could be united if both the people of America and Great Britain stopped believing

that the other group was against them and finally attempted to work together towards a greater peace and

unity.