The (Original) Liberty Tree in Boston

The Boston Liberty Tree

The Meeting Place of the Resistance

(Source: abridged from Wikipedia)

The Liberty Tree (1646–1775) was a famous elm tree that stood in Boston, Massachusetts at the corner of Essex Street and Orange Street, near Boston Common.

The tree became a central gathering place for protesters, and the ground surrounding it became popularly known as Liberty Hall. A “liberty pole” was installed nearby with a flag that could be raised above the tree to summon the townspeople to a meeting.

On August 14, 1765, a crowd gathered under the tree to protest the Stamp Act. When the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766, townspeople gathered at the tree to celebrate.

They decorated it with flags and streamers and hung dozens of lanterns from its branches when darkness fell. A copper sign was fastened to the trunk which read, "This tree was planted in the year 1646 and pruned by order of the Sons of Liberty 1766."

In the Siege of Boston in April 1775, colonial forces barricaded Boston Neck, including the Common and the Liberty Tree. A small number of Loyalist merchants remained on the Neck, and sometime between August 28 and 31, they cut down the tree and used it for firewood.

Liberty Tree

by Thomas Paine

In a chariot of light from the regions of day,

The Goddess of Liberty came;

Ten thousand celestials directed the way

And hither conducted the dame.

A fair budding branch from the gardens above,

Where millions with millions agree,

She brought in her hand as a pledge of her love,

And the plant she named Liberty Tree.

The celestial exotic struck deep in the ground,

Like a native it flourished and bore;

The fame of its fruit drew the nations around,

To seek out this peaceable shore.

Unmindful of names or distinction they came,

For freemen like brothers agree;

With one spirit endued, they one friendship pursued,

And their temple was Liberty Tree.

Beneath this fair tree, like the patriarchs of old,

Their bread in contentment they ate,

Unvexed with the troubles of silver and gold,

The cares of the grand and the great.

With timber and tar they Old England supplied,

And supported her power on the sea;

Her battles they fought, without getting a groat,

For the honor of Liberty Tree.

But hear, O ye swains, 'tis a tale most profane,

How all the tyrannical powers,

Kings, Commons, and Lords, are uniting amain

To cut down this guardian of ours;

From the east to the west blow the trumpet to arms

Through the land let the sound of it flee,

Let the far and the near, all unite with a cheer,

In defence of our Liberty Tree.

Acts that Led to the Revolution

The “Acts” that Led to the American Revolution

Taxation without Representation

The colonists protested against taxes imposed by the British Parliament without there being any representation on the colonies behalf, famously using the slogan "No taxation without representation". They argued that this violated the principle of consent of the governed and their rights as British subjects.

Stamp Act - 1765

The Stamp Act of 1765 was the first internal tax levied directly on American colonists by the British Parliament. The act, which imposed a tax on all paper documents in the colonies, came at a time when the British Empire was deep in debt from the Seven Years' War (1756-63) and looking to its North American colonies as a revenue source

Townshend Acts - 1767

The Townshend Acts were a series of measures, passed by the British Parliament in 1767, that taxed goods imported to the American colonies. But American colonists, who had no representation in Parliament, saw the Acts as an abuse of power.

Tea Act - 1773

The act’s main purpose was not to raise revenue from the colonies but to bail out the floundering East India Company, a key actor in the British economy. The British government granted the company a monopoly on the importation and sale of tea in the colonies. The colonists had never accepted the constitutionality of the duty on tea, and the Tea Act rekindled their opposition to it. Their resistance culminated in the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773, in which colonists boarded East India Company ships and dumped their loads of tea overboard.

The Intolerable Acts - 1774

The Intolerable Acts were five laws passed by the Parliament of Great Britain in 1774 to punish the Thirteen Colonies of British North America for the Boston Tea Party. Though the acts primarily targeted the town of Boston, Massachusetts, they caused outrage throughout the colonies and helped spark the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).

Boston Port Act - This act closed Boston Harbor until restitution was made for the tea destroyed during the Boston Tea Party, severely impacting the local economy.
Massachusetts Government Act - It altered the Massachusetts charter, reducing self-governance by replacing the elected local council with an appointed one, thereby increasing the power of the military governor.
Administration of Justice Act - This allowed British officials accused of crimes in the colonies to be tried in England or another colony, which was seen as a way to evade justice.
Quartering Act - This act permitted British troops to be housed in unoccupied buildings and homes, further inflaming tensions between colonists and British authorities.
Quebec Act - Although not directly punitive, this act expanded the boundaries of Quebec and granted rights to Catholics, which angered Protestant colonists and was viewed as a threat to their territorial claims.

Making the Case for Independence

First Continental Congress:

On September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, PA, to voice opposition to British tyranny and establish principles common to all the colonies, including life, liberty, and property. Here, delegates from 12 of the 13 North American colonies met to reconcile their competing interests and to coordinate their resistance to British oppression.

On October 14th the delegates approved the “Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress”, which outlined the colonies’ objections to oppression, asserted their rights as British subjects, and made their demands

Second Continental Congress:

The Second Continental Congress met on March 23 1775 to discuss next steps. Moderate delegates wanted to seek a peaceful resolution with the British, while other representatives, like Patrick Henry, argued that the colonies must take up arms to defend themselves.

Henry argued that war with the British was inevitable, and was necessary for the Americans to maintain their freedom. He wanted Virginia to organize the military forces necessary to defend the colony from the British.

His arguments convinced the delegates, who are said to have sat in complete silence for over a minute after his speech was concluded.

His speech included perhaps the most iconic quote of the American Revolution; “give me liberty or give me death!”
This quote quite possibly altered the course of American history.

Common Sense (1775)

by Thomas Paine

Common Sense is a 47-page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–1776 that powerfully articulated the arguments for independence from Great Britain, advocating for a new nation based on principles of liberty and equality.

It helped to galvanize public opinion in favor of independence and also put pressure on the Continental Congress to declare independence.

Quotes from the Dawn of the Revolution

“The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending against all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks.” – Sam Adams, 1771

Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: First a right to life, secondly to liberty, and thirdly to property; together with the right to defend them in the best manner they can. – Sam Adams, 1772

“Still less let it be proposed that our properties within our own territories shall be taxed or regulated by any power on earth but our own.” - Thomas Jefferson, 1774

“Parliament has no right to put its hands into our pockets without our consent.” - George Washington, 1774

No man in his senses can hesitate in choosing to be free, rather than a slave. - Alexander Hamilton, 1774

I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” – Patrick Henry, 1775

“Stand your ground; don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” – Captain John Parker, 1775

The Liberty Song

Lyrics by John Dickinson

Music by William Boyce

Listen to the Song HERE

Verse 1
Come, join hand in hand,
brave A-mer-i-cans all,
And rouse your bold hearts
at fair Lib-er-ty's call;
No ty-ran-ous acts shall
sup-press your just claim,
Or stain with dis-hon-or
A-mer-i-ca's name.

Chorus
In Free-dom we're born
and in Free-dom we'll live.
Our pur-ses are read-y
Stead-y friends, stead-y;
Not as sla-ves but as Free-men
our mon-ey we'll give.

Verse 2
Our wor-thy fore-fath-ers,
let's give them a cheer,
To cli-mates un-known
did cou-ra-eous-ly steer;
Thro' oc-eans to des-erts
for free-dom they came,
And dy-ing, be-queathed us
their free-dom and fame.

[Chorus]

Verse 3
The tree their own hands
had to Liberty rear'd,
They lived to behold
growing strong and revered;
With transport they cried,
Now our wishes we gain,
For our children shall gather
the fruits of our pain.

[Chorus]

Verse 4:
Then join hand in hand,
brave Americans all,
By uniting we stand,
by dividing we fall;
In so righteous a cause
let us hope to succeed,
For heaven approves
of each generous deed.

[Chorus]