Commemorate NewJersey250 in Your Community with a Liberty Tree!

Planted in 1646, the tree stood along Orange Street, the only road out of colonial Boston. By March 1765, it was nearly 120 years old when the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which taxed various documents in the colonies. When the news of the Stamp Act reached the colonies, the citizens were enraged. Opposition in Boston was spearheaded by the “Loyal Nine,” the most radical members of the Sons of Liberty—merchants and artisans who sought to dramatize their discontent. Prompted by their vocal protests, other locals gathered to escalate the demonstrations. On August 14, the mob created an effigy of Andrew Oliver, the Stamp Tax collector, hanging from the tree, alongside a boot symbolizing former British Prime Minister, Lord Bute. A sign proclaimed, "What Greater Joy did ever New England see, Than a Stampman hanging on a Tree!” Crowds gathered, creating a festive atmosphere, while the crowd thwarted the sheriff’s attempts to remove the effigy.

 On January 14, 1766, John Adams visited a Boston distillery to meet with the Sons of Liberty. They discussed their opposition to the Stamp Act. While Adams advocated for petitions and speeches, the Loyal Nine threatened violence against the king’s tax collector. Adams noted that there were no plots, just discussions about celebrating the repeal of the Stamp Act. The Liberty Tree, across from the distillery, became a symbol of revolt, inspiring citizens in other colonies to establish their own Liberty Trees. The British Army cut down Boston’s Liberty Tree in 1775, leading to its near forgetfulness today, as it represents the violent aspects of the American Revolution that remain controversial.

 Once a powerful rallying symbol, the Liberty Tree witnessed rising protests as colonists gathered at its trunk to voice their discontent. Cities across New England adopted their own liberty trees, which Paul Revere depicted in his political cartoon in 1765. Celebrations erupted when the Stamp Act was repealed in March 1766, with Bostonians hanging lanterns and decorations from its branches. For a decade, the tree stood witness to fierce protests against British rule. Loyalist Peter Oliver complained it had become an idol for the mob. During the Liberty Riot in 1768, a mock trial led to the burning of a customs commissioner’s boat at the tree. It also featured in funeral processions for Boston Massacre victims and in acts of defiance against British officials.

 After the British left Boston in March 1776, revolutionary Bostonians erected a liberty pole at the site in August. Though mentioned in Lafayette’s 1825 tour, the Liberty Tree's legacy faded, marked only by a bronze plaque today at Washington and Essex streets. Historian Alfred F. Young observed that Boston’s elite downplayed the radical aspects of the Revolution, preferring to celebrate more sanitized events. Today, Boston’s Old State House Museum displays part of the flag that flew above the Liberty Tree. It also houses one of the lanterns that decorated the tree at the Stamp Act repeal celebration on March 19, 1766.

 In the shadow of America’s Semiquincentennial, the New Jersey Society, Sons of the American Revolution, along with our compatriot lineage organizations, is interested in working with communities throughout the state to plant commemorative Liberty Trees as a symbol of America’s Revolutionary spirit that launched a nation. Once we agree on the logistics, the lineage organizations may supply your community with a Princeton Elm and a commemorative plaque. Please complete the following online questionnaire.

Thank you!