The Coming of Correspondence
by Mrs. McCluney
Throughout the 1760s and 1770s, Americans engage in colonial politics in a variety of ways. Newspaper reports, pamphlets and flyers are the main means of communication with the people so that they know what is going on in local town meetings, colonial legislatures, and Parliament. This newspaper outlines the birth of the Committee of Correspondence on November 2 1772 and its importance then and now.
The Boston Pamphlet
The Boston Pamphlet was published in 1772 and was written by members of the Boston Committee of Correspondence. The pamphlet outlined the rights of British American colonists and indicated how recent British policies were in violation of those rights. Although called the "Boston Pamphlet" by contemporaries, it was officially known as The Votes and Proceedings of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of The Town of Boston, In Town Meeting assembled, According to Law. Pictured is the primary author, Samuel Adams.
"Patriotic Province of Virginia": Help or Hindrance?
In the Spring of 1773, The House of Burgesses proposes some enhancements to Boston's committee of correspondence idea. In response to Virginia's proposal, Massachusetts creates a colony-level committee of correspondence chaired by Samuel Adams. The rhetoric of freedom, rights, and liberty bandied about by politicians is soon adopted by other colonists struggling with issues of slavery.
The Tea Act: Impending Doom???
By the summer of 1773, the Committees of Correspondence have yet another issue to debate and discuss. In May, Parliament passes the Tea Act, giving the East India Company a monopoly over the sale of tea in the colonies. Committees are quick to share their thoughts on this "impending evil" but will their vitriol be enough to stop the tea from coming?