DATE OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE SOCIETY. 165 



tions with many of its early members, to refute the 

 statements and arguments advanced by Mr. Fisher 

 against the prevailing belief. He prepared an elabo- 

 rate "Historical Account " of the origin of the Society, 

 in which he gave his reasons for his conviction "that 

 the ( American Society ' was no other than the Junto 

 established 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. " (See Historical Account, p. 4.) 

 Presented on the 19th of June, 1840, this paper was 

 read at an adjourned meeting held a week afterward; 

 and at the same time Mr. Fisher's communication was 

 read in defence of the new views set forth by Mr. 

 Sparks and himself. 



These papers were referred to a special committee, 

 which, on October 15, 1841, made an elaborate report 

 based upon the papers in question and upon certain 

 supplementary letters and other material. After re- 

 viewing all the available evidence, the Committee ar- 

 rived at two conclusions, one theoretical and not quite 

 final, the other practical and explicit. They found that 

 the account given by Mr. Sparks of the origin of the 

 Society is "substantially correct, " and concluded, after 

 reciting the admitted facts that the present Society 

 was formed in 1769 by the union of the American So- 

 ciety, which was known as the Junto as early as 1750 

 and down to 1767, and the American Philosophical So- 



