97 



the Junto "became the basis of the American Philo- 

 sophical Society. " 



In view of all the facts that they have been able to 

 collect, the Committee have come to the following 

 conclusions : 



1. That the present Society was formed, on the 2nd 

 of January 1769, by the union of the "American 

 Philosophical Society " and the "American Society, 

 held at Philadelphia for promoting Useful Knowl- 

 edge. ' ' 



2. That the Philosophical Society was founded by 

 Franklin on the 14th of May 1743 [old style corre- 

 sponding to 25th of May new style], this being the 

 date of the publication of his "Proposal for promot- 

 ing Useful knowledge among the British Plantations 

 in America. " 



3. That the American Society was begun under the 

 name of the Junto, and bore this name from the year 

 1750, the earliest recorded date of its existence, until 

 the 13th of December 1766. 



4. That the evidence before the Committee does 

 not establish the identity of the Junto which was 

 formed by Franklin in 1727, with that which after- 

 wards became the American Society; though they 

 appear to have been the same in many marked 

 particulars. 



5. That dating from the establishment of the elder 

 parent-Society, our centennial anniversary should be 

 celebrated on the 14th [25th, new style] of May 1843. 



