The French and Indian War started in 1754. The British were unsuccessful in the beginning because of their lack of unity. Benjamin Franklin saw this as a major problem and urged unity. In the Pennsylvania Gazette, he drew his famous cartoon of a broken snake with the caption "Join or Die." A meeting was held in Albany in the spring of 1754 to address this issue. Colonial leaders, officials and representatives from seven of the British colonies …showed first 75 words of 242 total…

…showed last 75 words of 242 total…paid to the organization. The plan was approved by the members of the Albany conference but the colonial assemblies refused to accept it as did the London regime. To the colonists, it did not seem to give enough independence. On the other hand, to the British officials, it seems to give too much. According to Franklin's wrote that the colonies agreed on the need for unity but could not agree on the details for unity.