Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Event, People, Site

Location

20 Beggs Pt St, Essex, NY 12936, USA

Lat/Long

44.3088, -73.3489

Grant Recipient

Town of Essex

In February 1776, as hostilities continued between the United Colonies and Great Britain, the Continental Congress resolved to send a committee to Canada in hopes of persuading it to join the Union as a “Sister Colony.” The commissioners were Benjamin Franklin, then seventy years old; Samuel Chase, a fellow congressional delegate; and Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a wealthy Marylander who kept a detailed journal of the journey.

Delayed by winter weather, icy waters, and Franklin’s advanced age, the men finally departed in April 1776, traveling north through Lake George and Lake Champlain in a bateau. On April 25, after passing Split Rock Point, a sudden gust of wind struck their vessel four to five miles beyond the landmark and blew them ashore near what is now Essex, New York. They landed on the property of a man named McCaully, where they docked and dined on cold provisions. By about four o’clock in the afternoon, the wind subsided, allowing them to continue their journey north.

The commissioners arrived in Montreal on April 29 and were received by General Benedict Arnold, the city’s military commander. They had supper with him and lodged at the home of Thomas Walker. Despite their efforts to appeal to shared interests and offer protection, the mission failed. Franklin later remarked that it was easier to buy Canada than to conquer it.