Editing Committees of correspondence (section)

== Function ==
The function of the committees was to alert the residents of a given colony of the actions taken by the [[British Crown]], and to disseminate information from cities to the countryside. The news was typically spread via hand-written letters or printed pamphlets, which would be carried by couriers on horseback or aboard ships. The committees were responsible for ensuring that this news accurately reflected the views of [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriots]], and was dispatched to the proper receiving groups. Many correspondents were members of colonial legislative assemblies, and others were also active in the [[Sons of Liberty]] and [[Stamp Act Congress]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Albert Bushnell Hart|title=Formation of the Union|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hPM2tiso8g4C&pg=PA49|year=1897|page=49|isbn=9781406816990}}</ref>

A total of about 7,000 to 8,000 Patriots served on these committees at the colonial and local levels, comprising most of the leadership in their communities; [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalists]] were naturally excluded. The committees became the leaders of the American resistance to [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]], and largely directed the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] effort at the state and local level. 

The committees promoted patriotism and home manufacturing, advising Americans to avoid luxuries, and lead a more simple life. The committees gradually extended their power over many aspects of American public life. In late 1774 and early 1775, they supervised the elections of provincial conventions, which began the operation of a true [[Colonial history of the United States|colonial]] government.<ref>[[#Norton|Norton & Blight (2001)]], pp. 144–145.</ref>