On this day in American history:
On August 14, 1765, the Loyal Nine (a group of merchants and artisans) created the Liberty Tree in Boston, MA.
That morning, Bostonians found an effigy hanging from a huge elm tree on the corner of Essex and Orange (now Washington) Streets. The letters "A.O." were pinned to it, referring to Andrew Oliver, a local merchant who had agreed to collect the hated stamp tax. A boot with a devil figure in it dangled from another branch, referring to former prime minister Lord Bute, who was held responsible for the Stamp Act.
Hundreds gathered, approving of the statement being made. Later, the effigy was laid in a coffin and paraded through Bostonโs streets to Oliver's house. There, the crowd ransacked the house and burnt the effigy. Not surprisingly, Oliver resigned as stamp commissioner.
Over the next decade, the Tree of Liberty was the place where revolutionary posters were hung and where demonstrations took place (including holding a mock trial for a customs officer's boat, which was found guilty and then burned on Boston Common!). When the Stamp Act was repealed, Bostonians celebrated at the tree, hanging lanterns in its branches. The idea of the Liberty Tree spread throughout the colonies, with many towns christening their own.
In August 1775, British troops cut down Boston's Liberty Tree. After the troops evacuated, residents erected a Liberty Pole on the same location. However, the pole did not generate the same enthusiasm as the tree.
One of the most important results of the Liberty Tree is that it helped unify colonists from all walks of life and all social strata to the cause of American liberty.
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