History
In the United States, the first chamber was founded for the State of New York to rally against the Stamp Act of 1765. By 1890 there were forty local Chambers in the U.S. These early organizations were founded to protect and promote commerce, and gradually emerged as civic leaders as business people realized that their prosperity depended on the development of a successful, prosperous community. Today there are over 5,000 Chambers in the U.S. Since the 1960's their role has expanded to become more involved in city development, urban renewal and planning, while maintaining the original mission of promoting and protecting commerce. The