New York State Provincial Congress Correspondence of the New York State Provincial Congress, Provincial Convention, Committee…

Chronological.

The First Provincial Congress (also called the Provincial Convention) met in New York City on April 20, 1775 to choose delegates to the Second Continental Congress. The Provincial Congress reconvened several times over the next two years, and appointed committees or councils of safety to govern New York during its adjournments. On June 9, 1776, the Fourth Provincial Congress approved the Declaration of Independence and renamed itself the Convention of the Representatives of the State of New York. This body continued to govern New York until the establishment of a constitutional government in 1777.

This is the body of correspondence, mostly incoming, generated by the Provincial Congress in the course of governing New York in the early years of the Revolution. The Congress received correspondence from other revolutionary bodies or other persons, including local committees concerning defense measures, raising troops, etc.; other Committees of Safety, such as that in Philadelphia headed by Benjamin Franklin; New York delegates to the Continental Congress; imprisoned loyalists or suspected loyalists or their families requesting relief; and Quakers who refused to provide names of men of military age.

The correspondence concerns organizing, maintaining, supplying, and paying the military; New York and enemy troop movements; charges against and activities of loyalists and suspected loyalists, and their treatment by the Revolutionary government; construction of fortifications, especially at New York City; orders and resolutions of the Continental Congress; orders and recommendations to local committees; and relations with and military actions of Indians.

Among those from whom correspondence was received are John Hancock (president of the Continental Congress); Ethan Allen; George Washington; Benjamin Franklin (president of the Philadelphia Committee of Safety); Alexander Hamilton (then an artillery captain); George Clinton; and John Jay.

The series also includes some printed broadsides concerning such matters as Provincial Congress proceedings and resolutions, prices set for certain goods, organization of and bounties to the militia, and a printed copy of the Declaration of Independence.

Much of the correspondence was published in volume 2 of "Journals of the Provincial Congress, Provincial Convention, Committee of Safety and Council of Safety" (Albany Thurlow Weed, 1842); some was printed or summarized in volume 1; and a few documents were not included in either volume. Available in two volumes and in microform at the New York State Library, Albany, N.Y.

Letter, dated May 2, 1776, from Isaac Sears to General George Washington has been digitized and is available in State Archives Digital Collections.

A1814 Minutes of the Provincial Congress, Provincial Convention, Committee of Safety, and Council of Safety contains minutes into which the correspondence found in this series was read.

A0116 Transcriptions of the Minutes of the Provincial Congress, Provincial Convention, Committee of Safety, and Council of Safety, contains minutes into which the correspondence found in this series was read.

Partial alphabetical index to correspondents; also extensive index to the published edition.

The records suffered moderate to severe burn damage in the State Capitol Fire of 1911.

Restricted due to burn damage. Published version is first use copy.