The One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the
Chamber of Commerce, 1768—1918

The Chamber of Commerce is one of New York's very
oldest institutions. In fact it is older than the Republic
itself. Organized in 1768 when the city was in its in¬
fancy, it was the natural outgrowth of the rapidly devel¬
oping commercial interests of the city. Although New
York had attained considerable importance as a com¬
mercial center it had not yet given evidence of becoming
the pre-eminent and imperial city of the Continent. It
may be supposed, however, that some of the members
of that early Chamber of Commerce must have had
dreams of the future greatness and importance of the
little bustling town which was spreading so rapidly on
both shores of Manhattan island.

In its inception the Chamber of Commerce was only
a group of business men—what we w^ould call today a
public-spirited body of citizens—associated together the
better to conserve and promote the interests of the city.
Most of the members were leading business men, or men
prominent in the social or public life of the community.
The familiar names of John Cruger, Elias Desbrosses,
Samuel Verplanck, Isaac Low, Anthony Vandam, Philip
Livingston, John Alsop, and William Walton appear in
the membership. They called themselves the Society of
Merchants and declared their purpose to be to discuss and
consider public affairs and to take such action as would
promote the commercial and business interests of the city.
Although the Society exercised its functions from the
first, it was not incorporated until March 13, 1770, when
the Royal Charter was granted to it as the Chamber of
Commerce of the City of New York.

Already disturbances had occurred which presaged
the jR-evolution and the excitement spread to the members
of the organization, some of them being sympathizers with
the movement. The majority, however, were opposed
to independence and strongly expressed their sentiment

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