Sons+of+Liberty

MHS3
 * THE FORMATION OF THE SONS OF LIBERTY**

http://www.masshist.org/revolution/sons_of_liberty.php

Rowe's Revolution "This afternoon Willm Mollineux was buried -- he has been famous among the Sons of Liberty. Many Things are attributed to him & tis believed he was first Leader of Dirty Matters. " Diary of John Rowe, 24 October 1774


 * Introduction**

Colonial agents working in Britain express their concerns over the Stamp Act long before it is passed by Parliament on 1 March 1765. When news of the Act's official status reaches the American colonies in the spring, creative colonists begin planning an assortment of protest activities.

Campaigning for "Liberty and no Stamp-Act," local groups within each colony scheme to prevent the Act from taking effect on 1 November 1765.

Adopting names including "Sons of Liberty," these committees stage dramatic spectacles designed to intimidate the stamp distributor in each colony and force him to resign his post.

In Boston, protestors take aim at Andrew Oliver.

A group of men known as the "Loyal Nine" (forerunners of Boston's Sons of Liberty) recruit the town's mobs to ransack Oliver's home and office in August 1765.

Not satisfied with their earlier endeavor, the Sons invite Andrew Oliver to appear under the **Liberty Tree** for a special ceremony in December.

Following the event, the Sons are pleased to boast that the whole affair was "Conducted to the General Satisfaction of the Publick."

The Sons of Liberty expertly use the press to rally colonists to their cause. As of 1 November, however, all newspaper publishers must pay the stamp tax.

While some printers cease publication to avoid paying the duties, many other papers (especially those controlled by Sons of Liberty) continue to publish stories designed to humiliate public officials.

Published accounts from other colonies denounce each stamp as a "Badge of Slavery."


 * Despite their protests, the Sons of Liberty seek to uphold established government, not overturn it. In many communities, the Sons assume the responsibility of**
 * keeping the peace.**


 * They also resort to referring to themselves as the "true" or "true-born" sons of liberty to distinguish themselves from the mischief makers among the general population.**


 * Prior to the implementation of the Stamp Act, small bands of patriots (including Sons of Liberty) act largely independent of one another.**


 * By the fall, however, many groups seek to strengthen and standardize colonial opposition to the Act through an inter-continental organization.**


 * Gradually, the Sons of Liberty in each colony, beginning with New York and Connecticut, establish communication networks and negotiate "Certain Mutual and Reciprocal Agreements" with other Sons of Liberty and related groups in surrounding towns and colonies.**

The Stamp Act is ultimately repealed on 1 March 1766, negating the immediate need for an inter-colonial resistance movement.

Parliament is not done with the colonies just yet, however, and Sons of Liberty groups remain active in their local communities for years to come.

In Boston, colonists continue to gather on 14 August to cultivate "Sensations of Freedom."


 * DOCUMENTS**:


 * A. “Liberty and no Stamp-Act”**

News of the Stamp Act, which places a duty on items including newspapers, legal documents, licenses, and playing cards, reaches the American colonies in the spring of 1765. As legislators within each colony craft lofty petitions, other citizens plot an assortment of more dramatic activities to protest the unwanted tax. Adopting names including "Sons of Liberty," committees within each colony intend to prevent the Stamp Act from taking effect on 1 November 1765. Intimidation is their method of choice, and their primary targets are the colonists who have been appointed stamp distributors by the British ministry. While the protests occasionally turn violent, most demonstrations appear almost playful despite their menacing undertones.

//To examine all six pages of this newspaper, please see the online display of The Massachusetts Gazette, 21 November 1765.//

Questions to Consider

1. Briefly describe the protest in Charleston, South Carolina. What are the main activities that take place? Which government officials are being targeted by the protesters?

2. Who is the stamp distributor for South Carolina? What is his response?

Further Exploration

3. Compare this demonstration to the one that took place in Boston on14 August 1765. (Click here to read an account of that demonstration.) How are the demonstrations different? How are they similar?

4. Diplomas are among the many items taxed as part of the Stamp Act.
 * Imagine that you must now pay a tax in order to receive your high school diploma**. Write a letter to your principal arguing against the diploma tax. (Click here to review documents related to the Stamp Act and colonists' reasons for protesting.)


 * B. Under the Liberty Tree**

In the summer of 1765, nine merchants and tradesmen gather in Boston to organize opposition to the Stamp Act. Finding inspiration in the annual Pope's Day celebrations, the "Loyal Nine" decide to harness the manpower of the mobs that regularly parade (and occasionally riot) through the streets of Boston on 5 November each year. This collaboration proves formidable on 14 August 1765 when the mob, under the direction of Ebenezer McIntosh, marches an effigy of alleged stamp distributor Andrew Oliver through the town. Oliver "resigns" (even though he has not yet been appointed) which quells the mob temporarily. When Oliver receives his official commission as stamp distributor on 30 November, the Loyal Nine (now calling themselves the Sons of Liberty) fear that his August resignation may not have been binding. In response, they arrange a special event for Oliver, and all of Boston is invited to attend.

Questions to Consider

1. What does this notice announce?

2. When and where will the event take place? **Why do the Sons of Liberty choose this place [Liberty Tree] for the event**?

3. Why would the Sons of Liberty want to invite as many people as possible to this event?

Further Exploration

4. Imagine that you are Andrew Oliver and prepare a resignation speech to deliver to the people of Boston.


 * C. “Conducted to the General Satisfaction of the Publick”**

The Sons of Liberty must have the support of the population at large if they are to prevent the Stamp Act from being implemented in November 1765. Hoping to recruit new supporters and activists, the Sons turn to newspapers to inform and engage the public through reports of their activities. Fortunately, several towns--including Boston, Providence, and Philadelphia--boast printers who are also members of the Sons of Liberty. To stir the populace, sympathetic printers use their newspapers to publish stories demonstrating the dangers of the Stamp Act. The stories encourage action in many ways, including printing the exploits of other colonies or colonists deemed courageous. (Virginia's Stamp Act Resolves are one such example.) In this letter to Boston merchant Samuel Savage, Henry Bass, a member of the Boston Sons of Liberty, expounds upon the group's symbiotic relationship with the press, as well as the Sons' involvement in recent local events.

Questions to Consider

1. What recent event is Henry Bass describing in his letter? What steps did the Sons take to organize this event?

2. According to Bass, who "has the Credit" for this event? Is this good or bad for the Sons of Liberty?

Further Exploration

3. Click here to read the Virginia Resolves printed in the Boston-Gazette and Country Journal, 1 July 1765. Why do the Sons of Liberty consider this to be a good piece of propaganda? Identify at least three words or phrases from the document to support your argument.


 * D. “The Badge of Slavery”**

The Stamp Act goes into effect on 1 November 1765. A few printers decide to suspend publication to avoid paying the stamp tax. Many printers, however, simply ignore the duty and continue to publish.

In colonies where the Sons of Liberty are well organized, many printers realize it is **safer to continue to print than to face the wrath of the Sons** and their minions.

Printers who cooperate with the Sons of Liberty rarely print mere appeals to reason and calls to action.

Instead, their stories often include inflammatory statements and insinuations aimed at a variety of colonial and British authority figures.

//To examine all four pages of this newspaper, please see the online display of The Boston-Gazette and Country Journal, 24 February 1766.//

Questions to Consider

1. Who is the "prisoner" being described in this article?

2. With what crime is the prisoner charged (set forth in the Bill mentioned in the first paragraph)?

3. What is the jury's verdict?

4. Describe the image associated with this newspaper article. What part of the trial does this image depict? Who are the figures represented? What are they discussing? (Review the article for clues.)

5. What ultimately happens to the prisoner and the effigies?

Further Exploration

6. Make a list of the toasts offered by the Sons of Liberty after the proceedings. Select one toast and explain why the Sons would offer that particular toast.


 * THIS SECTION IS A KEY ONE**


 * E. Keeping the Peace**

The Sons of Liberty groups that organize in 1765 have a specific mission: to act on behalf of the community in matters pertaining to the Stamp Act. As colonial leaders buckle under pressure from Stamp Act protestors, the Sons aim to uphold--not overturn--established government. The Sons quickly discover that the violence that plagued early Stamp Act protests (such as those in Boston) only served to drive supporters away. Meanwhile, less scrupulous individuals attempt to use the name "Sons of Liberty" to legitimize their illicit activities within the eyes of the community. As a result, the Sons of Liberty begin referring to themselves as the "true" or "true-born" Sons of Liberty to distinguish themselves from the opportunists. In Charlestown, South Carolina, as in many colonies, the Sons of Liberty--here known as Liberty Boys--do their best to keep the peace.

To examine both pages of this newspaper supplement, please see the online display of Supplement to the Boston-Gazette, 27 January 1766.

Questions to Consider

1. What are the main functions of the "Liberty Boys?"

2. What offense do the sailors commit? How do the Liberty Boys respond?

3. What have they done with the stamps in Bermuda?

4. What is the "Congress" referred to in the opening sentences of the article?

5. **Why might the Sons of Liberty make a deliberate attempt to uphold legal government?** How does this decision relate to their understanding of the legalities of the Stamp Act?


 * F. “Certain Mutual and Reciprocal Agreements”**

By the fall of 1765, Sons of Liberty in many colonies express an interest in **regularizing colonial opposition to the Stamp Act**. The effort begins in New York when the Sons of Liberty create a committee to correspond with other colonies. On 25 December, representatives from the Sons of Liberty in New York and Connecticut meet to formalize an alliance. In January, Sons in New York establish a **correspondence network** with Sons in Boston and Albany. Gradually, the communication network spreads from town to town and colony to colony, as far south as Virginia. In Boston, the Sons of Liberty reach out to supporters, such as John Adams, in neighboring communities.

Questions to Consider

1. In what ways do the Sons of Liberty in New York and Connecticut **pledge to support each other**?

2. What do the Sons of Liberty ask John Adams to do?

3. Where is John Adams to send the information he gathers? Why do you think this is so?

Further Exploration

4. Why would the Sons of Liberty reach out to John Adams in order to spread their message? Why do they think he will be a good messenger for the Sons of Liberty?

5. **Why is it important for the Sons of Liberty in multiple colonies to coordinate their resistance efforts**?

6. Research Sons of Liberty activities in another colony. How were their activities similar to or different from the activities of the Boston Sons of Liberty?


 * G. “Sensations of Freedom”**


 * John Adams diary** 15, 30 January 1768, 10 August 1769 - 22 August 1770

From the Adams Family Papers The transcription of this entry (for 14 August 1769) from Adams's diary (diary 15, page 7) is featured on the Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive website. **Online display of the diary**.

Under pressure from British merchants and colonial leaders, **Parliament repeals the Stamp Act in March 1766**. Having emerged triumphant, the inter-colonial Sons of Liberty movement largely dissipates. Many Sons of Liberty groups, however, continue to remain active in local community affairs. As news of the repeal reaches the colonies, the Sons commemorate the occasion with lavish celebrations. In Boston, the Sons of Liberty continue to gather every year on 14 August to commemorate their own special place in the history of the Stamp Act.

Questions to Consider

1. **Why do the Sons of Liberty choose to gather on 14 August each yea**r (what event are they commemorating)? Why might the Boston Sons of Liberty choose to commemorate this event? What purpose does their commemoration serve?

Further Exploration

2. William Palfrey also attends the event on 14 August 1769, and he creates a list of all the guests at the gathering. (Click here to view the list.) Why do you think that William Palfrey creates this list? Who is his intended audience?