Committee of Correspondence

American  

noun

American History.

1. an intercolonial committee organized 1772 by Samuel Adams in Massachusetts to keep colonists informed of British anticolonial actions and to plan colonial resistance or countermeasures.

2. (sometimes lowercase) any of various similar organizations formed for the same purpose during the late colonial period.

---

Etymology

Origin of Committee of Correspondence

An Americanism dating back to 1760–70

Example Sentences

I was managing the Committee of Correspondence feature, and the topic was “Does Microsoft Play Fair?”

From Slate • Sep. 30, 2016

Samuel Adams, along with Joseph Warren and James Otis, re-formed the Boston Committee of Correspondence, which functioned as a form of shadow government, to address the fear of British overreach.

From Textbooks • Dec. 30, 2014

Samuel Adams, cousin of John Adams, helped create a Committee of Correspondence in his colony so that even people in rural areas and other colonies had access to information.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012

He also began to employ him and Goblin to do express riding for the Boston Committee of Correspondence.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

She wrote a letter, put it in an envelope along with some money, and handed it to Dr. Church, a member of the Committee of Correspondence.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen