Committee of Sixty facts for kids
The Committee of Sixty was a group formed in New York City in 1775. Its main job was to make sure people followed the rules of the Continental Association. This Association was a plan to stop buying British goods, decided by the First Continental Congress.
This committee was a follow-up to the Committee of Fifty-one. The Fifty-one had first suggested holding the Congress. Later, the Committee of Sixty was replaced by the Committee of One Hundred.
The Committee of Fifty-one
When people heard that the British government would close the port of Boston with the Boston Port Act, New Yorkers decided to act. On May 16, 1774, merchants met at Fraunces Tavern in New York City. They wanted to discuss what to do about the serious situation.
At this meeting, with Isaac Low leading, they decided to create a fifty-member committee. This group would communicate with other colonies. On May 17, they asked the public to meet again on May 19 to approve this committee. At the May 19 meeting, Francis Lewis was also added, and the Committee of Fifty-one was officially formed.
On May 23, the committee met again. They chose Isaac Low as their permanent chairman. John Alsop became the deputy chairman. The committee then suggested a "Congress of Deputies from the Colonies." This meeting later became known as the First Continental Congress. The committee approved this idea. On May 30, they also asked other New York counties to form similar committees.
On July 4, 1774, the committee chose five delegates to attend the Congress. These delegates were Isaac Low, John Alsop, James Duane, Philip Livingston, and John Jay. The public was invited to City Hall on July 7 to agree to these choices. This caused some disagreements with the more radical group called the Sons of Liberty.
Some counties in New York agreed to send these five delegates. Other counties sent their own delegates. The First Continental Congress met from September 5 to October 26, 1774. Before this committee, the Sons of Liberty had led the opposition to the British. By late 1774, the Committee of Fifty-one was in charge of New York City. They stated that Boston was "suffering in defence of the rights of America."
The Committee of Sixty
On November 22, 1774, the Committee of Fifty-one and the Sons of Liberty nominated a new group. This group was approved by the city's citizens at City Hall. It was called the Committee of Sixty, or the Committee of Observation. Its job was to put the plans of the First Continental Congress into action. This mainly meant enforcing the Continental Association, which was a boycott of British goods.
On March 15, 1775, this Committee of Sixty asked New York counties to send delegates. These delegates would meet in New York City on April 20. Their goal was to choose representatives for the Second Continental Congress.
On April 23, news arrived about the battles of Lexington and Concord. These were the first battles of the American Revolution. On April 26, Isaac Low suggested that the Committee of Sixty should be dismissed. He called for a New York Provincial Congress to be formed instead. He also suggested a Committee of One Hundred to act until the Provincial Congress could meet. On April 29, 1775, many residents signed a "General Association." By signing, they agreed to obey the Continental Congress, the Committee of Sixty, and New York's Provincial Convention.
The Committee of One Hundred
The Committee of Sixty was replaced by the Committee of One Hundred on May 1, 1775. This new committee was more representative of the people. By May 4, New York City had four groups of volunteer soldiers. On May 15, the Continental Congress ordered the building of a fort at Kingsbridge, Bronx. They also ordered the creation of defenses in the Highlands. They wanted a militia (citizen army) to be armed and trained.
The Committee of One Hundred still felt loyal to the British King. However, they were against the laws made by the Parliament of Great Britain. They believed these laws were unfair because the colonies had no say in them. In May 1775, the committee wrote to Governor Cadwallader Colden. They said they were arming themselves not to fight the government, but to support fair rule.
In May, all people in the city were asked to sign an "Association." Anyone who refused to sign would be called "enemies of this country." Some people who remained loyal to Britain faced harsh public punishment. The committee also took away weapons from all loyalists in their area. The Committee of One Hundred was officially replaced by the New York Provincial Congress. This Congress first met on May 23, 1775. However, the Committee of One Hundred continued to meet for a short time afterward.
