It is correct that committees of correspondence existed prior to the
well-known committees that were formed to coordinate the colonies in
opposition to Great Britain in the middle 1770s.  See, “The Virginia
Committee of Correspondence 1759-1770," by E. I. Miller, William and Mary 
Quarterly, vol. 22, no. 1 (July 1913).  However, these committees were
designed to deal with issues arising between Virginia and Great Britain. 
They were not committees to correspond with other colonies.  Miller
concludes that these committees ended in 1770.  The committees of
correspondence they grew up in 1774 were created expressly to coordinate
activities among the colonies to support Massachusetts in the intended
takeover of the Boston port by Great Britain. There is no indication that
the 1774 committee by the Virginia Assembly was an extension of an  earlier
committee.

There is a discussion of this issue in “The County Committees of 1774 – 75
in Virginia, “ by Charles Washington Coleman, William and Mary Quarterly,
vol. 5, no. 2 (October 1896).  Coleman makes the point that the committees
that were formed in Massachusetts as a result of efforts by Samuel Adams in
November 1772 were designed to bind together and coordinate the activities
of the towns of Massachusetts in resistance to British trade policies and
the threatened closing of the Boston port. This resolution was sent to
Richard Henry Lee, and on March 12, 1773, he offered a resolution in the
Virginia Assembly for the appointment of a committee of correspondence to
coordinate the activities of the other colonies in support of
Massachusetts. It is noted that this account differs from the plaque at the
Restored Capitol which credits Dabney Carr as the author of the Virginia
resolution.  Coleman comments that other colonies followed Virginia
suggestion and cites “Virginia Historical Collections,” vol.11 (new series)
pp.3 – 23. I have not reviewed this.

So, at least on these sources (which are secondary, but quite early), it
would appear that Virginia’s committee of correspondence was the initial
action to unify the colonies.

Richard E. Dixon
Fairfax, Va 22030
703-691-0770 fax 703-691-0978


> [Original Message]
> From: Maass, John R Dr CMH <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 5/1/2008 1:13:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] committees of correspondence 05011614Z08
>
> I believe that the first formal committee of correspondence was
> organized in Boston in 1764, as a result of opposition to the Currency
> Act of that year.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jon Kukla
> Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 1:06 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] committees of correspondence 05011614Z08
>
> The Encyclopedia Britannica online entry says that "Samuel Adams
> organized the first group at Boston in November 1772, and within three
> months 80 others had been formed locally in Massachusetts. In March 1773
> Virginia organized legislative standing committees for intercolonial
> correspondence,"
>
> Still, does anyone else share my really vague lingering recollection
> that 'committees of correspondence' may also have been created in
> connection with the Stamp Act Congress of 1765 ?
> --
> Jon Kukla
> www.JonKukla.com <http://www.jonkukla.com/>
>
>
> On Thu, May 1, 2008 at 12:54 PM, Maass, John R Dr CMH <
> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > If Dabney Carr offered, and the House of Burgesses of Virginia
> > unanimously adopted, the
> > resolution to appoint a committee to correspond with similar
> committees
> > in other countries, doesn't this imply that there were ALREADY other
> > committees with which Va. Was to correspond, and therefore, Va. Could
> > not have been first?
> >
> > John R. Maass, Ph.D.
> > Historian, Contemporary Studies Branch
> > US Army Center of Military History
> > 103 Third Ave.
> > Ft. McNair, D.C. 20319
> > 202-685-2337
> >
> > "Nec Aspera Terrent"
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 7:52 PM
> > Subject: committees of correspondence
> >
> >
> > There is in the museum at Montpelier a timeline which credits
> > Massachusetts as the originator of the Committees of
> > Correspondence. In the Restored Capitol at Williams burg is a plaque
> > which reads:
> > Here, March 12, 1773, Dabney Carr offered, and the House of Burgesses
> of
> > Virginia unanimously adopted, the
> > resolution to appoint a committee to correspond with similar
> committees
> > in other countries - the first step taken
> > towards the union of the States.
> > This is apparently an issue between Massachusetts and Virginia. Is
> there
> > a definitive answer which was first?
> >
> >
> > Richard E. Dixon
> > Editor, Jefferson Notes
> > Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society
> > 4122 Leonard Drive
> > Fairfax, Va 22030
> > 703-691-0770 fax 703-691-0978
> >
>
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