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Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York

January 01, 1970

The New York Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1768 by twenty New York City merchants. As the first such commercial organization in the United States, it attracted the participation of a number of New York's most influential business leaders, including John Jacob Astor, Peter Cooper, and J. Pierpont Morgan. The chamber's members were instrumental in the realization of several key initiatives in the region – including the Erie Canal, the Atlantic cable, and the New York City Transit Authority. The Chamber of Commerce survives today as the Partnership for New York City, which was formed from the 2002 merger of the New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the New York City Partnership.

The former Chamber of Commerce Building, located at 65 Liberty Street between Nassau Street and Broadway in Manhattan

History edit

18th century edit

On April 5, 1768, a group of twenty New York merchants met at Bolton and Sigel's Tavern, in the building leased from Samuel Fraunces now known as Fraunces Tavern, to form a mercantile union. Organized under the name the New York Chamber of Commerce, the society was designed to protect and promote the business interests of merchants in New York City. Following its relocation to the Royal Exchange on lower Broad Street in 1770, the Chamber petitioned Lt. Governor Colden and was granted a royal charter from King George III incorporating it as “the Corporation of the Chamber of Commerce in the City of New York in America.”[1]

At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, the membership was divided into loyalist and patriot factions. Patriot members, including John Cruger, the first President of the Chamber, and William Malcolm left New York City after the British invasion of 1776 while their loyalist counterparts continued to hold meetings and transact business in the city.[2]

After the British evacuation from New York in 1783, the Chamber's returning patriot members quickly established control over the Chamber and relocated to the Merchants’ Coffee House on Wall and Water Streets.

In 1784, the Chamber was issued a new charter reincorporating it as “the Corporation of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York,”[3] and over the next few years the Chamber put numerous bills before Congress concerning mercantile issues and the fortification of the New York Harbor. It is during this period that the first mention of the Erie Canal is found.[4] In 1793, the Chamber again relocated; this time to the Tontine Association across the street from the Merchants’ Coffee House. The Chamber was an advocate of the Jay Treaty in 1795 and encouraged other mercantile bodies throughout the country to support it as well.[5] After the turn of the century member participation dropped steadily and by 1806 meetings were suspended due to lack of attendance.[6]

19th century edit

In 1817, the President, Cornelius Ray, called for resumption of Chamber business. New officers were elected and the membership base was increased by 36 during the first meeting. Over the following years interest in the proposed Erie Canal increased and in response to concerns, the Chamber published an informational pamphlet on the Erie Canal's merits.[7]

From 1827 to 1835, the Chamber was housed in the Merchants Exchange Building on Wall Street. That building was destroyed by the Great Fire of New York, on December 16, 1835. During the fire the Chamber's portraits of Alexander Hamilton and Cadwallader Colden were covered with canvas and stored in an attic on Wall Street, where they remained until they were discovered by Prosper Wetmore, Secretary of the Chamber, in 1843.[8] The remaining portraits, books and the Chamber's seal were saved from the fire.[9] There is no record of the original charter's fate and it is believed that the charter perished in the fire. The destruction of the Merchants Exchange Building forced the Chamber to relocate once more, this time to the Merchants Bank, also on Wall Street.

Throughout this period the Chamber was consumed by administrative concerns and the elected officers authorized the hire of an official clerk and librarian to assist the elected Secretary in overseeing the day-to-day functions of the Chamber. The Chamber's membership reached two hundred and five in 1849,[10] and the Chamber became increasingly involved in trade and commerce concerns at the national and international levels, including completion of the first Atlantic cable. In 1858, the Chamber released its first annual report which outlined the condition of mercantile affairs and important changes in business markets connected to the general trade of the country.[11] By this time the Chamber had outgrown its current location and decided that the Underwriters' building on William and Cedar Streets would provide more space for the growing library and membership.[12]

Throughout the Civil War, the Chamber gathered funds and wrote to the President, Congress, the New York State Legislature and the New York City Council regarding the defenses of the New York Harbor. Eventually, the State Legislature allocated one million dollars to the project and after inspection the Chamber deemed these defenses acceptable.[13] The Chamber also commemorated significant events and in 1861 issued medals to the defenders of Fort Sumter and Fort Pickens for their bravery during April and May of that year. Over the course of 1862 and 1863, the Chamber condemned the acts of the CSS Alabama and the CSS Florida, sloops-of-war known for capturing and burning Union merchant and naval ships.

The Chamber estimated the losses suffered from the CSS Alabama at twelve million dollars[14] and wrote to the Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, encouraging him to take immediate action. A year later, on July 7, 1864, the Chamber records that the CSS Alabama was sunk by the sloop-of-war the USS Kearsarge. A committee was appointed to determine the manner in which the Chamber should express its appreciation to the crew of Kearsarge and twenty-five thousand dollars was raised and distributed among them.[15]

20th and 21st centuries edit

The Chamber merged into the New York City Partnership in 2002.[16]

Presidents edit

Note: All names and dates were taken from the New York Chamber of Commerce Collection, Monthly Bulletin, vol. 40 (1948–49), Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University.

Archival materials edit

Acquired by the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University in 2001, the arrangement and description of the New York Chamber of Commerce records (1768–1979) is now complete. The archival records of the New York Chamber of Commerce provide a thorough history of this organization, rendering a vivid portrait of the Chamber by means of committee records, minute books, printed materials and publications, and a wealth of correspondence.

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ Joseph Bucklin Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years: The Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York, 1768-1918. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1918; p. 12.
  2. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, pp. 28–33.
  3. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, p. 40.
  4. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, p. 42. Reference to the Erie Canal can be found in the New York Chamber of Commerce Collection, Meeting Minutes, 1786.
  5. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, p. 47.
  6. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, p. 51.
  7. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, p. 59.
  8. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, pp. 15–16.
  9. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, p. 60.
  10. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, p. 64.
  11. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, pp. 68–69.
  12. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, p. 67.
  13. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, p. 85.
  14. ^ In 1872, the Geneva Tribunal awarded the United States $15.5 million for claims against the CSS Alabama. Bishop, 85.
  15. ^ Bishop, A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years, pp. 81–83.
  16. ^ "New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Social Networks and Archival Context". snaccooperative.org. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  17. ^ After George W. Lane died in December 1883, the presidency remained empty until the annual meeting in May 1884. Information taken from the New York Chamber of Commerce Collection, Meeting Minutes, 1880–1886, currently being processed at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University.

Further reading edit

  • Karl Kusserow, Picturing Power: Portraiture and Its Uses in the New York Chamber of Commerce. New York: Columbia University Press, 2013.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York.
  • Partnership for New York City
  • New York Chamber of Commerce Archives
  • Notes from 2M11
  • Rare Book and Manuscript Library
  • The New York Chamber of Commerce Collection at the New York Historical Society

January 01, 1970
chamber, commerce, state, york, york, chamber, commerce, founded, 1768, twenty, york, city, merchants, first, such, commercial, organization, united, states, attracted, participation, number, york, most, influential, business, leaders, including, john, jacob, . The New York Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1768 by twenty New York City merchants As the first such commercial organization in the United States it attracted the participation of a number of New York s most influential business leaders including John Jacob Astor Peter Cooper and J Pierpont Morgan The chamber s members were instrumental in the realization of several key initiatives in the region including the Erie Canal the Atlantic cable and the New York City Transit Authority The Chamber of Commerce survives today as the Partnership for New York City which was formed from the 2002 merger of the New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the New York City Partnership The former Chamber of Commerce Building located at 65 Liberty Street between Nassau Street and Broadway in Manhattan Contents 1 History 1 1 18th century 1 2 19th century 1 3 20th and 21st centuries 2 Presidents 3 Archival materials 4 Footnotes 5 Further reading 6 External linksHistory edit18th century edit On April 5 1768 a group of twenty New York merchants met at Bolton and Sigel s Tavern in the building leased from Samuel Fraunces now known as Fraunces Tavern to form a mercantile union Organized under the name the New York Chamber of Commerce the society was designed to protect and promote the business interests of merchants in New York City Following its relocation to the Royal Exchange on lower Broad Street in 1770 the Chamber petitioned Lt Governor Colden and was granted a royal charter from King George III incorporating it as the Corporation of the Chamber of Commerce in the City of New York in America 1 At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War the membership was divided into loyalist and patriot factions Patriot members including John Cruger the first President of the Chamber and William Malcolm left New York City after the British invasion of 1776 while their loyalist counterparts continued to hold meetings and transact business in the city 2 After the British evacuation from New York in 1783 the Chamber s returning patriot members quickly established control over the Chamber and relocated to the Merchants Coffee House on Wall and Water Streets In 1784 the Chamber was issued a new charter reincorporating it as the Corporation of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York 3 and over the next few years the Chamber put numerous bills before Congress concerning mercantile issues and the fortification of the New York Harbor It is during this period that the first mention of the Erie Canal is found 4 In 1793 the Chamber again relocated this time to the Tontine Association across the street from the Merchants Coffee House The Chamber was an advocate of the Jay Treaty in 1795 and encouraged other mercantile bodies throughout the country to support it as well 5 After the turn of the century member participation dropped steadily and by 1806 meetings were suspended due to lack of attendance 6 19th century edit In 1817 the President Cornelius Ray called for resumption of Chamber business New officers were elected and the membership base was increased by 36 during the first meeting Over the following years interest in the proposed Erie Canal increased and in response to concerns the Chamber published an informational pamphlet on the Erie Canal s merits 7 From 1827 to 1835 the Chamber was housed in the Merchants Exchange Building on Wall Street That building was destroyed by the Great Fire of New York on December 16 1835 During the fire the Chamber s portraits of Alexander Hamilton and Cadwallader Colden were covered with canvas and stored in an attic on Wall Street where they remained until they were discovered by Prosper Wetmore Secretary of the Chamber in 1843 8 The remaining portraits books and the Chamber s seal were saved from the fire 9 There is no record of the original charter s fate and it is believed that the charter perished in the fire The destruction of the Merchants Exchange Building forced the Chamber to relocate once more this time to the Merchants Bank also on Wall Street Throughout this period the Chamber was consumed by administrative concerns and the elected officers authorized the hire of an official clerk and librarian to assist the elected Secretary in overseeing the day to day functions of the Chamber The Chamber s membership reached two hundred and five in 1849 10 and the Chamber became increasingly involved in trade and commerce concerns at the national and international levels including completion of the first Atlantic cable In 1858 the Chamber released its first annual report which outlined the condition of mercantile affairs and important changes in business markets connected to the general trade of the country 11 By this time the Chamber had outgrown its current location and decided that the Underwriters building on William and Cedar Streets would provide more space for the growing library and membership 12 Throughout the Civil War the Chamber gathered funds and wrote to the President Congress the New York State Legislature and the New York City Council regarding the defenses of the New York Harbor Eventually the State Legislature allocated one million dollars to the project and after inspection the Chamber deemed these defenses acceptable 13 The Chamber also commemorated significant events and in 1861 issued medals to the defenders of Fort Sumter and Fort Pickens for their bravery during April and May of that year Over the course of 1862 and 1863 the Chamber condemned the acts of the CSS Alabama and the CSS Florida sloops of war known for capturing and burning Union merchant and naval ships The Chamber estimated the losses suffered from the CSS Alabama at twelve million dollars 14 and wrote to the Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles encouraging him to take immediate action A year later on July 7 1864 the Chamber records that the CSS Alabama was sunk by the sloop of war the USS Kearsarge A committee was appointed to determine the manner in which the Chamber should express its appreciation to the crew of Kearsarge and twenty five thousand dollars was raised and distributed among them 15 20th and 21st centuries edit The Chamber merged into the New York City Partnership in 2002 16 Presidents editNote All names and dates were taken from the New York Chamber of Commerce Collection Monthly Bulletin vol 40 1948 49 Rare Book and Manuscript Library Columbia University John Cruger 1768 1770 Hugh Wallace 1770 1771 Elias Desbrosses 1771 1772 Henry White 1772 1773 Theophylact Bache 1773 1774 William Walton 1774 1775 Isaac Low 1775 1784 John Alsop 1784 1785 John Broome 1785 1794 Comfort Sands 1794 1798 John Murray 1798 1806 Cornelius Ray 1806 1819 William Bayard 1819 1827 Robert Lenox 1827 1840 Isaac Carow 1840 1842 James De Peyster Ogden 1842 1845 James G King 1845 1847 Moses H Grinnell 1847 1848 James G King 1848 1849 Moses H Grinnell 1849 1852 Elias Hicks 1852 1853 Pelatiah Perit 1853 1863 Abiel Abbot Low 1863 1867 William E Dodge 1867 1875 Samuel D Babcock 1875 1882 George W Lane 1882 1883 17 James M Brown 1884 1887 Charles S Smith 1887 1894 Alexander E Orr 1894 1899 Morris K Jesup 1899 1907 J Edward Simmons 1907 1910 A Barton Hepburn 1910 1912 John Claflin 1912 1914 Seth Low 1914 1916 Eugenius Harvey Outerbridge 1916 1918 Alfred Erskine Marling 1918 1920 Darwin P Kingsley 1920 22 Irving T Bush 1922 1924 Frederick H Ecker 1924 1926 William L De Bost 1926 1928 Leonor F Loree 1928 1930 J Barstow Smull 1930 1932 James Brown 1932 1934 Thomas I Parkinson 1934 1936 Winthrop W Aldrich 1936 1938 Richard W Lawrence 1938 1940 Percy H Johnston 1940 1942 Frederick E Hasler 1942 1944 Leroy A Lincoln 1944 1946 Peter Grimm 1946 1948 James G Blaine 1948 Archival materials editAcquired by the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University in 2001 the arrangement and description of the New York Chamber of Commerce records 1768 1979 is now complete The archival records of the New York Chamber of Commerce provide a thorough history of this organization rendering a vivid portrait of the Chamber by means of committee records minute books printed materials and publications and a wealth of correspondence Footnotes edit Joseph Bucklin Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years The Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York 1768 1918 New York Charles Scribner s Sons 1918 p 12 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years pp 28 33 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years p 40 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years p 42 Reference to the Erie Canal can be found in the New York Chamber of Commerce Collection Meeting Minutes 1786 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years p 47 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years p 51 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years p 59 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years pp 15 16 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years p 60 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years p 64 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years pp 68 69 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years p 67 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years p 85 In 1872 the Geneva Tribunal awarded the United States 15 5 million for claims against the CSS Alabama Bishop 85 Bishop A Chronicle of One Hundred and Fifty Years pp 81 83 New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry Social Networks and Archival Context snaccooperative org Retrieved 2022 04 19 After George W Lane died in December 1883 the presidency remained empty until the annual meeting in May 1884 Information taken from the New York Chamber of Commerce Collection Meeting Minutes 1880 1886 currently being processed at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library Columbia University Further reading editKarl Kusserow Picturing Power Portraiture and Its Uses in the New York Chamber of Commerce New York Columbia University Press 2013 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York Partnership for New York City New York Chamber of Commerce Archives Notes from 2M11 Rare Book and Manuscript Library The New York Chamber of Commerce Collection at the New York Historical Society Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York amp oldid 1213994946, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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