The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-07-12
Which Followed Obnox.
ious Stamp Act.
NAME Was SONS OF LIBERTY"
1t FIourished For Awhile and
Was Finally Absorbed In.
y to the Revolution.
CELEBRITY POLES" EVERYWHERE

The Sons of Liberty was the frs,
real national party in this country
Its organization was the outcome OF
the obnoxious Stamp Act which Eng.
land placed upon the colonists in
1884. When this act was proposed
loose secret organizations, chiefly OF
workingmen, were formed in various
colonies for united resistance. Col.
onel Isaac Barre, in a speech in Par.
Lament in. 1865, used the phrase
"Sons of Liberty" which was at
once adopted by these societies.
The Sons of Liberty sprung up al
most Immediately in all sections OF
the colonies, although no central
organization existed, but the Sons OF
Liberty in the New York colony de-
veloped the most strength. 1t was
in that colony that the first organi-
cation was effected. Songs helped
materially in the recruiting of the
ranks, one of the most popular hav-
ing been written by John Dickinson,
which started
Come join hand in hand, Ameri-
cans all,
And rouse your bold heart at Liber-
tvs CALL"
Branches of the Sons of Liberty
were eventually in operation in all
the colonies from New Hampshire to
South Carolina and while they per-
formed most important work in
the early stages of the Revolution,
their members, as a general thing,
were composed of men of a lower
social class than the final leaders in
the conflict. Barring Samuel Chase,
of Maryland, scarcely one of them
made place for himself.
Samuel Adams seems to have
been in close touch with the organi-
cation in Boston and Joined in the
invitation OF John Adams to attend
their meetings. The latter drew up
several papers for them and in his
diary he left description of visit
to their place of meeting in Hanover
Square.
The Sons of Liberty in different
communities, erected liberty poles"
At Providence, R. l., they resolved:
1--WE do, therefore, in the name and
behalf of all true Sons of Liberty in
America, Great Britain, Corsica, or
wheresoever they are dispersed
throughout the world. dedicate and
solemnly devote this tree to be a
Tree of Liberty"
Their pole in the square at New
York was cut down four times by
the Kings troops. but they purchas-
ed a plot of ground and then tri-
unRhantly erected fifth. When a
Maryland patriots house was burn
ed, the Sons of Liberty rebuilt it.
AS a kindred association, the
Daughters of Liberty came into ex-
istence. They usually assembled to
knit or sew during the afternoon
and to serve tea to the Sons of Lib
erty who came in the evening. They
invariably blended their voices in
liberty songs. one of the most popu-
lar being one credited to Thomas
Paine. which began:
I'm a chariot of light from the re-
gions of day,
The Goddess of Liberty came;
Ten thousand Celestials directed the
way. =.
And hitler conducted the dame,
A fair budding branch from the gar
dens above.
Where millions with millions
agree.
She brought in her hand as a pledge
of her love,
And the plant she named Liberty
Tree"
The leaders. of the Sons of Liber-
ty were generally men of local
prominence. but naturally such an
organization could not keep out of
its ranks some indiscreet persons.
and who were nothing more or less
than disorderly and lawless, who