by Heather Rockwood, Communications Manager
A quiet, hot August morning dawned in Boston in 1765. The morning light shone on an American elm tree on Orange Street in the South End revealing two items that were not present the day before. The first was a straw-filled dummy, or effigy, shaped like a man with the letters “A. O.” on it, standing for Andrew Oliver, the newly appointed stamp tax collector, the other was a green boot with a small devil sticking out of the top. This one represented the Earl of Bute and the Earl of Grenville, supporters of the Stamp Act in Britain’s Parliament. The effigy also had “What Greater Joy did ever New England see/ Than a Stampman hanging on a Tree!” written on it.
The rest of the story is best told by two witnesses to the event. In the first example, Cyrus Baldwin wrote to his brother on 15 August, informing him of the date of his upcoming visit and included news of the previous night’s protest. He personally witnessed it, or at least, the end of the evening’s mob rioting. In the second account, John Rowe, a loyalist, tells the story as heard from a secondary source.
Yesterday morning we had something so Rair as to draw the attention of almost the whole town it was no less than the Effigie of the Honourable Stamp Master of this Province hanging on one of the great Trees at the south end directly over the main street behind him was a Boot hung up with the Devil Crawling out, with the pitchfork in his hand, on the Effigies Right arm was writ and sew’d on the letters AO. on his left arm was wrote these words (It’s a glorious sight to See a Stamp-man hanging on a Tree) on his breast was a large paper fraimed , and the lines much like what follows
Fair freedoms Cause I’ve meanly Quitted
For the Sake of a little Pelf
The Devil has me outwitted
And now I have hangd myself
the
NB He that takes
This down is an
enemy to his —
Country
This Effigie hung in this manner alday, tho the Sheriff with another Officer or two went and askd liberty to take it dow but to no purpose, after sun sett the North gave up & the South keept not back the mob Increased every moment. and they took the Image down, after the performance of some Cerimo nies it was brought by the Mob through the main street to the Townhous, carried it through and proceeded to the supposd Stamp Office near Olivers Dock and in less than half an hour laid it even with the ground then took the timbers of the house and caryd ’em up on Fort Hill where they stampd the Image & timber & made a great bonfire. at length the fuel faild they Immediately fell upon the stamp Masters Garden fence took it up stampd it and burnt it, if any piece happen’d to be cast upon the fire before it was stampd it was puld and the Ceremony pasd upon it and put on again. not contented with this they proceeded to his Coach house took off the doars stampd ’em & burnt ’em while they was doing this the Sheriff began to read the proclamation for the mob to withdraw which Insenc’d the Mob so much that they fell upon the Stamp Masters dweling house broke glass Casements & all; also broke open the doars enterd the house & bespoil’d good part of the house & furniture, braking the looking glasses which some said was a pitty, the answer was that if they would not bare stamping they was good for nothing. The Coach & boobyhutt were drag’d up the Hill & would have been stamp’d & burnt had not some Gentlemen Oppos’d it & with much difficulty they prevented it. They continued their fire till about 11 o’Clock then Retired. I believe people never was more Univassally pleasd not so much as one could I hear say he was sorry, but a smile sat on almost every ones countenance. It is reported that Mr. Oliver the said Stamp Master wrote to the Governor & Counsel that is was not worth while for him or any body else to accept the office of a Stamp Master in this place. Augt. 16 there was a pretty large Mob last night don’t hear that any damage was done thereby. Tis hopd that Mr. Oliver has Suffer’d will be Sufficient warning to others not to take Offices that Encroach upon American liberty.
14 August. Wind Westerly A Great Number of people assembled this morning at—Deacon Elliots Corner to see the Stamp Officer hung in Effigy with a Libel on his Breast On Deacon Elliot’s tree & alongside him. a Boot stuffd with Representation, which represented the Devill coming out of Bute, this stamp officer hung up all Day—at night they cut him down layd him out & carried in Triumph amidst the acclamations of many thousands who were gathered together on that occasion, they—proceeded from the So. End down the Main street through the Town house & Round by Olivers Dock they Pull’d down a New Building which some people thought was Building for a Stamp Office, & did some Mischief to Mr. Andrew Olivers house (which I think they were much to Blame).
Andrew Oliver, the stamp collector, publicly resigned from his position at the Liberty Tree in December 1765. Boston’s Liberty Tree became a meeting place for the Sons of Liberty to protest and celebrate. During celebrations Bostonians hung flags, streamers, and lanterns on the tree. Boston’s Liberty Tree inspired Liberty Trees in other places such as Newport, RI, and Charlestown, SC.
During the British occupation of Boston in 1775 the tree was chopped down by British soldiers. Plaques were placed near the location of the tree to commemorate the Liberty Tree and in 2018 Liberty Tree Plaza opened on the site, but belowground infrastructure prevents a tree being planted in the plaza.
To learn more about Boston’s Liberty Tree follow these links to more eyewitness accounts and historical interpretation.
The Object of History podcast, season 2, episode 9 “The Roots of Liberty?: An MHS Mystery”