Philadelphia Board of Trade records

Table of Contents

Summary Information

Abstract

Administrative Information

Related Materials

Controlled Access Headings

Collection Inventory

Summary Information

Repository

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Creator

Philadelphia Board of Trade.

Title

Philadelphia Board of Trade records

ID

1791

Date

1801-1942, undated

Extent

23.0 Linear feet ; 41 boxes, 36 volumes

Author

Finding aid prepared by Randi Kamine.

Language

English

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Abstract

The Philadelphia Board of Trade was the precursor of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. A group of Philadelphia merchants organized the Board of Trade in 1833 because of the restrictive nature of the old Chamber of Commerce which had been founded in 1801, primarily to foster the shipping interests of the city. The Board of Trade united with the old Chamber of Commerce in 1845, and it came to represent most of the commercial and industrial interests of the city. In 1891, a new Chamber of Commerce was organized and there was no unified commercial organization in the city until 1942, when the Board of Trade combined with the Chamber of Commerce. The records of the Board of Trade are organized chronologically by month. The records for each month are arranged by subject in the order they were presented at the monthly meetings. Included are incoming and some outgoing correspondence, reports, and miscellaneous items, 1889, 1891, 1897-1900, 1904-1916, 1919, 1921-1925, 1930-1933, 1939-1942. Many of the records, including reports, are recorded in the Minutes, 1833-1940. There are also annual reports, 1904-1922, 1929-1941; correspondence and reports, 1880-1909, on deepening the harbor, Port of Philadelphia. There are three volumes of records of the old Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce: an Award Book, 1801-1808, which contains the proceedings of the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce that acted as arbiter in commercial disputes; a letter book, 1801-1826, of which many of the letters were written by Thomas Fitzsimons, president of the Chamber of Commerce, 1801-1811, Philadelphia merchant, political figure, and signer of the Constitution; and minute book, 1837-1846. Also included in the collection are minutes, 1868-1900, of the Executive Council of the National Board of Trade; Port of Philadelphia statistics, 1924-1934; Minutes and miscellaneous records of the Pennsylvania Tax Conference, 1892-1994, a conference of various economic interests to consider a revision of the assessing and taxing laws of the state; Minutes and a few miscellaneous items, 1895-1898, of the Sound Money League of Pennsylvania, an organization formed to maintain the gold standard; and letter press correspondence, 1863- 1879, of Henry Preaut, merchant and Russian Vice Consul in Philadelphia.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2015.

Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Provenance

Gift of Free Library of Philadelphia, 1958, 1960.

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Related Materials

Related materials

At the Historical Society of Pennsylvania:

Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia records (Collection 1997)

Great Britain Board of Trade records (Collection 767)

Great Britain Board of Trade shipping lists (Collection 1491)

Albert M. Greenfield papers (Collection 1958)

Philadelphia Bourse papers (Collection 1358)

Philadelphia Bourse records (Collection 3477)

Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Tariff Committee scrapbook (Am .3249)

William R. Tucker scrapbook (Am .1753)

Ernest T. Trigg papers (Collection 1382)

Henry W. Wills records (Collection 2104)

At the Library Company of Philadelphia:

Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce minutes of monthly committee (LCP.in.HSP.61)

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

• National Board of Trade (U.S.).
• Pennsylvania Tax Conference.
• Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.
• Port of Philadelphia and Camden.
• Sound Money League of Pennsylvania.

Personal Name(s)

• Fitzsimons, Thomas.
• Preaut, Henry.

Subject(s)

• Commerce--19th Century.
• Commerce--Philadelphia--19th century.
• Pennsylvania--Economic conditions--19th century.
• Philadelphia (Pa.)--Commerce--History--19th century.
• Shipping--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
• Trade and professional associations--Philadelphia (Pa.)--19th century.
• Trade and professional associations--Philadelphia (Pa.)--20th century.
• Trade Regulations--19th century.
• Trade--Pennsylvania--19th century.

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Collection Inventory