Sons of Liberty: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

All Topics

Sons of Liberty

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

	Sons of Liberty
	Home Discussion
	Topics Sons of Liberty Topic Home The Sons of Liberty was a secret organization of American PatriotsPatriot (American Revolution) Patriots were British North American colonists who rebelled against the British monarchy during the American Revolution and ... which originated in the Thirteen ColoniesThirteen Colonies The Thirteen Colonies were thirteen British colonies in North America, separately chartered and governed, that rebelled agai... during the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution The American Revolution was a political movement that ended British control of the south-eastern coastal area of North Ameri... . BritishKingdom of Great Britain Kingdom of Great Britain\| align="center" colspan="2"\|... authorities and their supporters known as LoyalistsLoyalist (American Revolution) Loyalists were British North American colonists who remained loyal subjects of the British crown during the American Revolut... considered the Sons of Liberty as seditious rebels, referring to them as "Sons of Violence" and "Sons of Iniquity." Patriots attacked the apparatus and symbols of British authority and power such as property of the gentryGentry Gentry is a term meaning one thing in the UK: landed gentry.... , Customs officerCustoms officer A customs officer is generally a law enforcement officer working to enforce customs laws, with duties such as detecting and ... s, East India Company tea, and as the war approached, vocal supporters of the CrownThe Crown In United Kingdom, Canada and other Commonwealth Realms, The Crown is an abstract concept which represents the legal authori... . Origin In the popular imagination (as in the novel Johnny TremainJohnny Tremain *Johnny Tremain, a 1944 children's novel by Esther Forbes, retells in narrative form the final years in Boston, Massachus... by Esther ForbesEsther Forbes Esther Forbes* was a prize-winning author.... ), the Sons of Liberty was a formal underground organization with recognized members and leaders. More likely, the name was an umbrella term for any men resisting new Crown taxes and laws. Newspaper articles, handbills, referred to "True Born Sons of Liberty," "Sons of Freedom," "Liberty Boys", and "Daughters of LibertyDaughters of Liberty The Daughters of Liberty was a successful Colonial American group that proved women's involvement in politics could be benev... ." The label let organizers issue anonymous summons to a Liberty TreeLiberty Tree The Liberty Tree was a famous elm tree that stood in the commons of Boston, Massachusetts Colony, in the days before the Ame... , "Liberty PoleLiberty pole A Liberty pole is a tall woooden pole, often used as a type of flagstaff, planted in the ground, which may be surmounted by ... ", or other public meeting-places, let Patriot groups in one town communicate with those elsewhere, and let any man or boy imagine himself a Son of Liberty. While the officers and leaders of the Sons of Liberty “were drawn almost entirely from the middle and upper ranks of colonial society, they recognized the need to expand their power base to include "the whole of political society, involving all of its social or economic subdivisions." Prominent leaders included Paul ReverePaul Revere Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution.... , Thomas YoungThomas Young (American revolutionary) Dr. Thomas Young was an American radical during the American Revolutionary War who advocated for independence from Britain.... , Joseph WarrenJoseph Warren Dr. Joseph Warren was an American doctor and soldier, remembered for playing a leading role in American Patriot organization... , Alexander McDougallAlexander McDougall Alexander McDougall was an American seaman, merchant, and leader from New York City during the Revolutionary War.... , Patrick HenryPatrick Henry Overview Patrick Henry was a prominent figure in the American Revolution, known and remembered primarily for his "Give me liberty or ... , John HancockJohn Hancock Joseph Raymond McCarthy was a Republican Senator from the U.S.... , Isaac SearsIsaac Sears Isaac Sears was an American merchant, sailor, and political figure who played an important role in the American Revolution.... , John LambJohn Lamb (general) John Lamb was an American solider, politician, and Anti-Federalist organizer.... , James Otis, Marinus WillettMarinus Willett Marinus Willett was an American soldier and political leader from New York City.... , John AdamsJohn Adams John Adams was a Founding Father of the United States and American politician who served as the first Vice President of the... , and his cousin, Samuel AdamsSamuel Adams Samuel Adams was the chief Massachusetts leader of the Patriot cause leading to the American Revolution.... , who was a leader of the New England resistance. Silas Downer, a so-called "Forgotten Patriot", spoke as a Sons of Liberty member at one of the famed Liberty TreeLiberty Tree The Liberty Tree was a famous elm tree that stood in the commons of Boston, Massachusetts Colony, in the days before the Ame... s in 1766. Members were drawn from across class distinctions, although these borders were less well-defined in colonial America. In order to do this, the Sons of Liberty relied on large public demonstrations to expand their base. They learned early on that controlling such crowds was problematical, although they strived to control "the possible violence of extra-legal gatherings." While the organization professed its loyalty to both local and British established government, possible military action as a defensive measure was always part of their considerations. Throughout the Stamp Act Crisis, the Sons of Liberty professed continued loyalty to the King because they maintained a "fundamental confidence" in the expectation that Parliament would do the right thing and repeal the tax. History Groups identifying themselves as Sons of Liberty existed in almost every colony. The organization spread month by month after independent starts in several different colonies. August 1765, was celebrated as the founding of the group in Boston. While Samuel AdamsSamuel Adams Samuel Adams was the chief Massachusetts leader of the Patriot cause leading to the American Revolution.... was the organizer of the Boston group, this group had formerly existed as the "Loyal Nine" and there is no evidence it was originally a tool of radicals such as Adams and Otis. By November 6, a committee was set up in New York to correspond with other colonies, and in December an alliance was formed between groups in New York and Connecticut. In January, there was established a correspondence link between Boston and Manhattan, and by March, Providence had initiated connections with New York, New Hampshire, and Newport, Rhode Island. Also, by March, Sons of Liberty organizations had been established in New Jersey, Maryland, and Norfolk, Virginia, and a local group established in North Carolina was attracting interest in South Carolina and Georgia. North American colonists from Savannah to Halifax resisted the Stamp Act in 1765, through legislative resolutions (starting in Province of Virginia), public demonstrations (starting in Province of Massachusetts), threats, and occasional violence. The success of this popular movement — the Stamp Act became unenforceable and was repealed in May 1766 — emboldened colonial WhigsRadical Whigs The Radical Whigs were "a group of British political commentators" associated with the British Whig faction who were at the ... to resist other new taxes with similar measures in the following years. In 1768, in response to the Townshend Act, the Sons of Liberty were able to impose a virtual blockade of British goods. In 1766, the Sons of Liberty (a.k.a. "Liberty Boys") in the Province of New YorkProvince of New York The Province of New York was a British colony that existed roughly where the U.S.... erected a Liberty PoleLiberty pole A Liberty pole is a tall woooden pole, often used as a type of flagstaff, planted in the ground, which may be surmounted by ... in New York CityNew York City New York City is the largest city in the United States and the twelfth largest city in the world, making it a major global c... to celebrate the repeal of the Stamp Act. There was a long-running skirmish over these Liberty Poles with the British troops stationed there (the most notable engagement being the Battle of Golden HillBattle of Golden Hill The Liberty Boys erected several poles with banners to celebrate the repeal of the Stamp Act.... on 19 January 1770). As poles were alternately erected by Patriots and cut down by troops, violent outbreaks over it raged intermittently from 1766 until the PatriotsPatriot (American Revolution) Patriots were British North American colonists who rebelled against the British monarchy during the American Revolution and ... gained control of New York City governmentNew York Provincial Congress The New York Provincial Congress was an organization formed by rebels in 1775, during the American Revolution, as a replace... in April 1775. The last liberty pole was cut down by occupying British troops on 28 October 1776. The Sons of Liberty were responsible for the burning of HMS GaspéeGaspée Affair The Gasp?e Affair was an important incident in the course of the American Revolution.... in 1772. In December 1773, the Sons of Liberty issued and distributed a declaration in New York City called the Association of the Sons of Liberty in New York which formally stated their opposition to the Tea ActTea Act Overview The so-called Tea Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, passed in 1773, which allowed the British East India Co... and that anyone who assisted in the execution of the act was "an enemy to the liberties of America" and that "whoever shall transgress any of these resolutions, we will not deal with, or employ, or have any connection with him". The Sons of Liberty took direct action to enforce their opposition to the Tea Act at the Boston Tea PartyBoston Tea Party The Boston Tea Party was a direct action protest by the American colonists against Great Britain in which they destroyed man... . Members of the group, wearing disguises meant to evoke the appearance of Native American Indians, poured several tons of tea into the Boston Harbor in protest of the Tea Act. The Sons of Liberty were widely accused of tarring and feathering. Early in the American Revolution, the Sons of Liberty generally evolved into or were superseded by more formal groups such as the Committee of SafetyCommittee of Safety (American Revolution) Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution.... . After the end of the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, was a war between Great Britain and r... , Isaac SearsIsaac Sears Isaac Sears was an American merchant, sailor, and political figure who played an important role in the American Revolution.... along with Marinus Willet and John LambJohn Lamb (general) John Lamb was an American solider, politician, and Anti-Federalist organizer.... , in New York City, revived the Sons of Liberty. In March 1784, they rallied an enormous crowd which called for the expulsion of any remaining Loyalists from the state starting May 1. The Sons of Liberty were able to gain enough seats in the New York assembly elections of December 1784 to have passed a set of punitive laws against Loyalists. In this time period, it is said that John Adams and Sam Adams fought in jurisdiction due to the public offholding of public society as a system. In violation of the Treaty of Paris (1783)Treaty of Paris (1783) The Treaty of Paris of 1783, signed on September 3 1783, and ratified by the U.S.... they called for the confiscation of the property of Loyalists. Flags In 1767, the Sons of Liberty adopted a flagFlag A flag is a piece of cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used for signalling or identification.... called the rebellious stripes flag with nine uneven vertical stripes (five red and four white). It is supposed that nine represented the number of colonies that were to attend the Stamp Act CongressStamp Act Congress The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting in October 1765 of delegates from the American Colonies that discussed and acted upon t... . A flag having thirteen horizontal red and white stripes, used by American merchant ships during the war, was also associated with the Sons of Liberty. While red and white were common colors of the flags, other color combinations, such as green and white, in addition to yellow and white, were used. Later societies The name was also used during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War The American Civil War was a sectional conflict in the United States of America between the federal government and 11 Sout... . Early in 1864, the CopperheadCopperheads (politics) The Copperheads were a faction of Democrats in the North who opposed the American Civil War, wanting an immediate peace sett... organization, the Knights of the Golden CircleKnights of the Golden Circle The Knights of the Golden Circle was a secret society originally founded to promote Southern interests and prepare the way f... , was reorganized as the Order of the Sons of Liberty. The Improved Order of Red MenImproved Order of Red Men The Improved Order of Red Men is a Fraternal Organization established in the Baltimore, Maryland in 1834.... , a patriotic fraternal secret society, claims to actually be the Sons of Liberty, having adopted the Native American motive after the Boston Tea PartyBoston Tea Party The Boston Tea Party was a direct action protest by the American colonists against Great Britain in which they destroyed man... . One of the secret societies at the University of VirginiaSecret Societies at the University of Virginia The following is a list of some of the more well known of the secret societies at the University of Virginia.... calls itself the Sons of Liberty. Some of its actions seem designed to echo those of the colonial Sons of Liberty, including pouring tea down the chimney of an individual of whom the society was publicly critical. See also Société des Fils de la LibertéSociété des Fils de la Liberté The Socit des Fils de la Libert was a paramilitary organization founded in August of 1837 in Lower Canada by young supporter... (Quebec) Stamp Act CongressStamp Act Congress The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting in October 1765 of delegates from the American Colonies that discussed and acted upon t... Boston Tea PartyBoston Tea Party The Boston Tea Party was a direct action protest by the American colonists against Great Britain in which they destroyed man... Bibliography Becker, Carl. Growth of Revolutionary Parties and Methods in New York Province 1765-1774. American Historical Review 1901 7(1): 56-76. Issn: 0002-8762 Fulltext: in Jstor Champagne, Roger J. Liberty Boys and Mechanics of New York City, 1764-1774. Labor History 1967 8(2): 115-135. Issn: 0023-656x Fulltext: in Ebsco Champagne, Roger J. New York's Radicals and the Coming of Independence. Journal of American History 1964 51(1): 21-40. Issn: 0021-8723 Fulltext: in Jstor Irvin, Benjamin H. Tar, Feathers, and the Enemies of American Liberties, 1768-1776. New England Quarterly 2003 76(2): 197-238. Issn: 0028-4866 Fulltext: in Jstor Maier, Pauline. From Resistance to Revolution: Colonial radicals and the development of American opposition to Britain, 1765-1776. (1991 - original 1972) ISBN 0-393-30825-1 Miller, John C., Origins of the American Revolution. (1943) Morais, Herbert M., The Sons of Liberty in New York in Richard B. Morris ed. The Era of the American Revolution (1939) pp 269-89 Schecter, Barnet, The Battle of New York, 2002, ISBN 0802713742 Smith, Page, A New Age Now Begins, 1976, ISBN 0070590974 Unger, Harlow, John Hancock: Merchant King and American Patroit, 2000, ISBN 0785820264 External links