On this day 250 years ago in Williamsburg, Purdie & Dixon’s Virginia Gazette published the “Association” pledging to stop imports from Britain, as well as the Instructions to the delegates to the Continental Congress, that had been adopted by the Virginia Convention in the preceding week. The 7th and 8th Resolutions of the Association authorized the county and city committees that would become the governments in Virginia acting in complete independence of the British Crown:

it is recommended to the deputies of the several counties that committees be chosen in each county, by such persons as accede to this association, to take effectual care that these resolves be properly observed, and for corresponding occasionally with the general committee of correspondence in the city of Williamsburg. . . .

In order the better to distinguish such worthy merchants and traders who are well wishers to this colony from those who may attempt, through motives of self-interest, to obstruct our views, we do hereby resolve that we will not, after the first day of November next, deal with any merchant or trader who will not sign this association, nor until he hath obtained a certificate of his having done so from the county committee, or any three members thereof. And if any merchant, trader, or other persons shall import any goods or merchandise after the first day of November, contrary to this association, we give it as our opinion that such goods and merchandise should be either forthwith reshipped, or delivered up to the county committee, to be stored at the risk of the importer, unless such importer shall give a proper assurance to the said committee that such goods or merchandises shall not be sold within this colony during the continuance of this association; and if such importer shall refuse to comply with one or the other of these terms, upon application and due caution given to him or her, by the said committee, or any three members thereof, such committee is required to publish the truth of the case in the gazettes, and in the county where he or she resides, and we will thereafter consider such Person or Persons as inimical to this Country, and break off every Connection and all Dealings with them.

Sources: https://img.coherentcommons.com/1000x/artifacts/artifact/img/76a1c203-3ca5-4540-bdf9-30984fd2ec03.jpg; https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-01-02-0091