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In 1754, Benjamin Franklin and other colonial leaders met in Albany to draft the Albany Plan of Union as a common defense against the French. The document was never adopted by Parliament, but is seen as an important precursor to the U.S. Constitution.
Albany supported the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia and served as a focal point for military planning and as a supply center for the Revolutionary War effort. Albany native Philip Livingston was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
In 1797, Albany officially became the Capital of New York and in the 19th century, the City became a center of transportation with the advent of the steamboat and the Erie Canal in 1825. Travel by rail began in 1831 between Schenectady and Albany.
The City has long been a center for education, finance and politics. The presidential names of Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt and Chester A. Arthur are all associated with Albany. In 1921, Democrat William S. Hakett defeated Republican William Van Rensselaer in the mayoral race. This marked the rise of the famous Albany Democratic "machine" headed by Dan O' Connell; the city has remained a Democratic stronghold to this day.
In the year 2000, the city is undergoing a dramatic revitalization and remains a center of government and culture in upstate New York.
from "History of Albany New York "
http://www.albanyny.org/gov
ernment/history/index.asp
For more information about Albany New York, check out the links we've provided for you. These organizations are eager to tell you what's great about their "home".
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