Changes

The [[Sons of Liberty]] used to rally under its wide-spreading branches. It was under this tree that the first public act of resistance to British tyranny showed itself. At dawn, on the 14th of August, 1765, an effigy of Andrew Oliver, the stamp officer, was discovered hanging to one of the larger branches, which caused great excitement. The sheriff was ordered by the colonial Governor Hutchinson to remove the effigy from the tree. But such was the intensity of public feeling, he declared he dare not do so. It was creating a local revolution, and was removed by stratagem. The tree became famous about 1760, and was named the Liberty Tree about this time. On Feb. 14, 1766, it was pruned by the order of the Sons of Liberty.

The [[Sons of Liberty]] used to rally under its wide-spreading branches. It was under this tree that the first public act of resistance to British tyranny showed itself. At dawn, on the 14th of August, 1765, an effigy of Andrew Oliver, the stamp officer, was discovered hanging to one of the larger branches, which caused great excitement. The sheriff was ordered by the colonial Governor Hutchinson to remove the effigy from the tree. But such was the intensity of public feeling, he declared he dare not do so. It was creating a local revolution, and was removed by stratagem. The tree became famous about 1760, and was named the Liberty Tree about this time. On Feb. 14, 1766, it was pruned by the order of the Sons of Liberty.

The ground about the tree had become sacred soil, and was designated as "Liberty Hall",<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YN4pAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA84|title=Under the Liberty Tree; Stories of American History|date=1896}}</ref> and really became the original stamping ground of the Revolution, in defiance of the "stamp act." In 1767 a flagstaff was erected, which went up through the branches, upon which was hoisted a flag as a signal for the assembling of the Sons of Liberty. In August, 1775, the Tories, encouraged by their British allies, and led on by one Job Williams, armed with axes, made a furious attack upon the Liberty Tree, and it was ruthlessly cut down. This vandal act caused great excitement. At the close of the Revolution a liberty pole was erected on the stump of the old tree which long served as a point of direction.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YN4pAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA84|title=Little Pilgrimages Among Old New England Inns: Being an Account of Little Journeys to Various Quaint Inns and Hostelries of Colonial New England|date=1907|pages=84-85}}</ref>

The ground about the tree had become sacred soil, and was designated as "Liberty Hall",<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YN4pAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA84|title=Under the Liberty Tree; Stories of American History|date=1896}}</ref> and really became the original stamping ground of the Revolution, in defiance of the "stamp act." In 1767 a flagstaff was erected, which went up through the branches, upon which was hoisted a flag as a signal for the assembling of the Sons of Liberty. In August, 1775, the Tories, encouraged by their British allies, and led on by one Job Williams, armed with axes, made a furious attack upon the Liberty Tree, and it was ruthlessly cut down. This vandal act caused great excitement. At the close of the Revolution a liberty pole was erected on the stump of the old tree which long served as a point of direction.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YN4pAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA84|title=Little Pilgrimages Among Old New England Inns: Being an Account of Little Journeys to Various Quaint Inns and Hostelries of Colonial New England|date=1907|pages=84–85}}</ref>

==Dedication==

==Dedication==

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In defense of our " Liberty Tree."}}

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In defense of our " Liberty Tree."}}

==See Also==

==See also==

* [[Washington Elm]]

* [[Washington Elm]]

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{{Template:Building Toward Independence}}

{{Building Toward Independence}}

[[Category:American Revolution]]

[[Category:American Revolution]]