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This article discusses the early American patriot group. For the video game, see Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. (commonly abbreviated as MGS2) is a stealth action Video game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed by Konami Computer Entertainment
For the 1939 film, see Sons of Liberty (film). Sons of Liberty is a 1939 short Drama film directed by Michael Curtiz.

The Sons of Liberty was a secret organization of American Patriots which originated in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution. Secret society is a term used to describe a variety of organizations This article concerns Patriots in the American Revolution. For other uses see Patriot (disambiguation. The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris (1783 recognized the In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" British authorities and their supporters known as Loyalists considered the Sons of Liberty as seditious rebels, referring to them as "Sons of Violence" and "Sons of Iniquity. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 This article concerns Loyalists in the American Revolution. For information on the role of those Loyalists in Canadian history after their emigration see United Empire Rebellion is a refusal of obedienceIt may therefore be seen as encompassing a range of Behaviours from Civil disobedience and mass Nonviolent resistance " Patriots attacked the apparatus and symbols of British authority and power such as property of the gentry, Customs officers, East India Company tea, and as the war approached, vocal supporters of the Crown. Gentry generally refers to people of high Social class, especially in the past Overall A customs officer is a law officer who enforces Customs laws on behalf of a government The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or Throughout the Commonwealth realms The Crown is an abstract metonymic concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government

Contents

Origin

In the popular imagination (as in the novel Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes), the Sons of Liberty was a formal underground organization with recognized members and leaders. Johnny Tremain, a 1943 children's Novel by Esther Forbes, retells in narrative form the final years in Boston Massachusetts, Esther Forbes ( June 28 1891 - August 12, 1967) was an American Novelist and Children's writer who received the 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 Liberty. The Daughters of Liberty were a successful Colonial American group that proved women had uses in society as great as their responsibility to bear male children even though women " The label let organizers issue anonymous summons to a Liberty Tree, "Liberty Pole", 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. See Arbre de la liberté for the French revolutionary Liberty Trees A Liberty pole is a tall wooden pole often used as a type of flagstaff planted in the ground which may be surmounted by an ensign or a liberty cap (see Phrygian cap)

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. "[1] Prominent leaders included Paul Revere, Thomas Young, Joseph Warren, Alexander McDougall, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, Isaac Sears, John Lamb, James Otis, Marinus Willett, John Adams, and his cousin, Samuel Adams, who was a leader of the New England resistance. Paul Revere (bap December 22, 1734 ( OS) / January 1 1735 (NS &ndash May 10, 1818) was an American Silversmith Dr Thomas Young was an American radical during the American Revolutionary War who advocated for independence from Britain Dr Joseph Warren ( June 11, 1741 &ndash June 17, 1775) was an American doctor and soldier remembered for playing a leading role Alexander McDougall (about 1731&ndash1786 was an American seaman merchant a Sons of Liberty leader from New York City before and during the American Revolution Patrick Henry ( May 29, 1736 June 6, 1799) was a prominent figure in the American Revolution, known and remembered for his " John Hancock ( October 8 1793 was a Massachusetts merchant and prominent patriot of the American Revolution. Isaac Sears (1730 &ndash 1786 was an American merchant sailor and political figure who played an important role in the American Revolution. John Lamb (1735-1800 was an American soldier politician and Anti-Federalist organizer James Otis Jr (February 5 1725 &ndash May 23 1783 was a lawyer in colonial Massachusetts who was an early advocate of the political views that led to the American Marinus Willett ( July 31, 1740 &ndash August 22, 1830) was an American soldier and political leader from New York John Adams (October 30 1735 July 4 1826 was one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States. Samuel Adams ( – October 2 1803 was an American Statesman, Politician, Writer and political philosopher, brewer Silas Downer, a so-called "Forgotten Patriot", spoke as a Sons of Liberty member at one of the famed Liberty Trees in 1766. See Arbre de la liberté for the French revolutionary Liberty Trees [2] 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. [3] They learned early on that controlling such crowds was problematical, although they strived to control "the possible violence of extra-legal gatherings. "[4] 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. [5]

History

1849 artist's impression of the Boston Tea Party
1849 artist's impression of the Boston Tea Party
The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man, 1774 British propaganda print referring to the tarring and feathering of Boston Commissioner of Customs John Malcolm four weeks after the Boston Tea Party. The men also poured hot tea down Malcolm's throat as can be seen. Note the noose hanging on the Liberty Tree, and the Stamp Act posted upside-down
The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man, 1774 British propaganda print referring to the tarring and feathering of Boston Commissioner of Customs John Malcolm four weeks after the Boston Tea Party. Excise or Excise tax (sometimes called an excise duty) is a type of Tax charged on goods produced within the country (as opposed to Customs duties The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people Commissioner is a designation that may be used for a variety of official positions especially referring to a high-ranked public (administrative or Police) official or an analogous Customs is an Authority or agency in a Country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods John Malcolm, a Bostonian who worked for the British Customs service was the victim of one of the most publicized Tarring and feathering incidents during The Boston Tea Party was an act of Direct action protest by the American colonists against the British Government in which they destroyed many The men also poured hot tea down Malcolm's throat as can be seen. Note the noose hanging on the Liberty Tree, and the Stamp Act posted upside-down

Groups identifying themselves as Sons of Liberty existed in almost every colony. See Arbre de la liberté for the French revolutionary Liberty Trees A stamp act is a law enacted by a government that requires a tax to be paid on the transfer of certain documents 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. [6] While Samuel Adams was the organizer of the Boston group[7], 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. Samuel Adams ( – October 2 1803 was an American Statesman, Politician, Writer and political philosopher, brewer [8] 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. [9]

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 Colony of Virginia (also known frequently as the Virginia Colony and occasionally as the Dominion and Colony of Virginia) was the English colony The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a crown colony chartered October 7, 1691 in North America by William and Mary, the joint The success of this popular movement — the Stamp Act became unenforceable and was repealed in May 1766 — emboldened colonial Whigs to resist other new taxes with similar measures in the following years. The Radical Whigs or Jug Heads were "a group of British political commentators" associated with the British Whig faction who were at the forefront of Radicalism In 1768, in response to the Townshend Act, the Sons of Liberty were able to impose a virtual blockade of British goods. The Townshend Acts (1767 passed by Parliament on 29 June 1767 refer to two Acts of the Parliament of Great Britain passed in 1767 originally proposed by Charles

The burning of the HMS Gaspée
The burning of the HMS Gaspée

In 1766, the Sons of Liberty (a. k. a. "Liberty Boys") in the Province of New York erected a Liberty Pole in New York City to celebrate the repeal of the Stamp Act. The Province of New York (1664-1776 (Provincie New York resulted from the capture of the Dutch Republic colony of Provincie Nieuw-Nederland by the A Liberty pole is a tall wooden pole often used as a type of flagstaff planted in the ground which may be surmounted by an ensign or a liberty cap (see Phrygian cap) The City of New York 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 Hill on 19 January 1770). The Battle of Golden Hill was a clash between British Soldiers and British colonists that occurred on January 19 1770 in New York City As poles were alternately erected by Patriots and cut down by troops, violent outbreaks over it raged intermittently from 1766 until the Patriots gained control of New York City government in April 1775. This article concerns Patriots in the American Revolution. For other uses see Patriot (disambiguation. The New York Provincial Congress (1775-1777 was an organization formed by rebels in 1775 during the American Revolution, as a replacement for the Province of New York The last liberty pole was cut down by occupying British troops on 28 October 1776. [10]

The Sons of Liberty were responsible for the burning of HMS Gaspée in 1772. The Gaspée Affair was a significant event in the American Revolution.

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 Act 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 Tea Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain (13 Geo III c The Sons of Liberty took direct action to enforce their opposition to the Tea Act at the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Tea Party was an act of Direct action protest by the American colonists against the British Government in which they destroyed many 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. Tarring and feathering is a physical Punishment, used to enforce formal justice in Feudal Europe and informal justice in Europe and its Colonies

Early in the American Revolution, the Sons of Liberty generally evolved into or were superseded by more formal groups such as the Committee of Safety. Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution.

After the end of the American Revolutionary War, Isaac Sears along with Marinus Willet and John Lamb, in New York City, revived the Sons of Liberty. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Isaac Sears (1730 &ndash 1786 was an American merchant sailor and political figure who played an important role in the American Revolution. Marinus Willett ( July 31, 1740 &ndash August 22, 1830) was an American soldier and political leader from New York John Lamb (1735-1800 was an American soldier politician and Anti-Federalist organizer 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) they called for the confiscation of the property of Loyalists. The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, and approved by the Congress of the Confederation on January 14, 1784, formally [11]

Flags

Nine stripe Sons of Liberty flag
Nine stripe Sons of Liberty flag

In 1767, the Sons of Liberty adopted a flag called the rebellious stripes flag with nine uneven vertical stripes (five red and four white). A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification It is supposed that nine represented the number of colonies that were to attend the Stamp Act Congress. The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting in the building that would become Federal Hall in New York City in October of 1765 consisting of delegates from 9 of the 13 colonies 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. The ensign of the United States refers to the Flag of the United States when worn as an Ensign (a type of Maritime flag identifying nationality 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. [12][13]

Later societies

The name was also used during the American Civil War. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Early in 1864, the Copperhead organization, the Knights of the Golden Circle, was reorganized as the Order of the Sons of Liberty. The Copperheads were a vocal group of Democrats in the Northern United States (see also Union (American Civil War) who opposed the American Civil The Knights of the Golden Circle ( KGC) was a Secret society originally founded to promote the interests of the Southern United States.

The Improved Order of Red Men, a patriotic fraternal secret society, claims to actually be the Sons of Liberty, having adopted the Native American motive after the Boston Tea Party. The Improved Order of Red Men is a fraternal organization established in Baltimore Maryland in 1834. The Boston Tea Party was an act of Direct action protest by the American colonists against the British Government in which they destroyed many

See also

References

  1. ^ Maier pg. The Société des Fils de la Liberté ( Society of the Sons of Liberty) was a Paramilitary organization founded in August of 1837 in Lower Canada The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting in the building that would become Federal Hall in New York City in October of 1765 consisting of delegates from 9 of the 13 colonies The Boston Tea Party was an act of Direct action protest by the American colonists against the British Government in which they destroyed many 86-88
  2. ^ Online Library of Liberty - part four: The War for Independence - The American Republic: Primary Sources
  3. ^ Maier pg. 86-88
  4. ^ Maier pg. 97
  5. ^ Maier pg. 101-106. Miller pg. 139. Miller wrote, "Had Great Britain attempted to enforce the Stamp Act, there can be little doubt that British troops and embattled Americans would have shed each other’s blood ten years before Lexington. As Benjamin Franklin remarked, a British army would not have found a rebellion in the American colonies in 1765 but it would have made one. "
  6. ^ Unger, p. 135
  7. ^ Unger, p. 90
  8. ^ Smith, p. 195
  9. ^ Maiers pg. 78-81
  10. ^ Resistance and Dissent : Independence & its Enemies in New York
  11. ^ Schecter, pg. 382
  12. ^ Colonial and Revolutionary War Flags (U.S.)
  13. ^ Liberty Flags (U.S.)

Bibliography

External links

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