HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN OF THE 



efforts for the advancement of knowledge ; and like a 

 band of brothers to join in forming the Society which 

 I have now the honor of addressing. Some are of 

 opinion, that the " American " Society which I call 

 thus for shortness' sake, and to distinguish it from 

 the other which I shall call the "Philosophical," was 

 no other than the celebrated Junto, established by the 

 illustrious Franklin in 1727, and of which he gives 

 so interesting an account in his autobiography, while 

 others think that it was a different Association, of 

 uncertain origin, but more recent than that of the 

 other Society. 



Among those who entertain the latter opinion, or 

 rather who have doubts upon the subject, are men 

 whose sentiments are entitled to the highest respect, 

 men of profound learning and established reputation, 

 justly deserved, to whom I should not have alluded, 

 if one of them had not expressed his doubts in a work 

 destined to go to posterity. 1 



It is not my intention to give to this sketch a polem- 

 ical character, but in treating this subject historically, 

 I shall be obliged to give the reasons which have pro- 

 duced in my mind the fullest convictions that the 

 " American " Society was no other than the Junto es- 

 tablished by Franklin, which, when it was united to 

 the "Philosophical" Society, had only changed its 

 name, extended its views, and increased the number 

 of its members, without ceasing to be a continuation 

 of the original association. 



1 1 Sparks' " Franklin," 578. 



