Sons of Liberty Flag or Rebellious Stripes-1765
Having waged a prolonged, costly war, largely in defense of their American colonies, the British Parliament felt it appropriate for those colonies to help pay for the war. Imposed in 1765, the Stamp Act taxed all documents and newspapers. Although not the first tax imposed by Parliament, the Stamp Act affected individual colonist more directly. Not having parliamentary representation, Colonists saw this tax as an attack on their rights as English citizens. Assemblies of nine colonies adopted resolutions condemning the Stamp Act, eight of which met in New York in October 1765. The Stamp Act was repealed one year after it was enacted, but the British Crown and Parliament continued attempts to tax the colonies. Each time, the colonies would form stronger ties to stand against the British Crown.
Originating in Boston, the Sons of Liberty formed a loose network throughout the colonies to enforce boycotts, organize protests and keep an eye of the increasing British presents. Their tactics were sometimes less than peaceful, occasionally resulting in riots and vandalism. The group reached the pinnacle of their influence on the 16th of December 1773 with an event known as the Boston Tea Party.
As the story goes, the Sons of Liberty would fly a flag with nine red and white stripes, representing the nine colonies who protested the Stamp Act, from a tree over their meeting place. Numerous accounts in journals and papers from the time mention flags flying from trees. Becoming wise to the Flag, the British chopped down these “Liberty Trees”. So, the Sons of Liberty began erecting poles to fly their Flag.
The only existing Sons of Liberty Flag, made of material dated from the 1770’s, is housed in the Old Boston Statehouse. After Independence was won, former Son of Liberty Samuel Adams (not the one for whom the beer was named) displayed the Flag at events including a Free Soil rally in 1852. There is some debate over whether the Sons of Liberty would have made their meeting place obvious by flying a flag over it, but there is no debate that by the start of the American war for Independence flags bearing alternating red and white stripes had become a symbol of the united colonies.
Dear Reader, Above is a mere synopsis of the facts and legends surrounding the Sons of Liberty Flag. For a more complete picture, please investigate the sources below:
American Battlefield Trust. “Who were the Sons of Liberty?” Retrieved 24 February 2023 from https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/who-were-sons-liberty
Bostonian Society. “Not that Samuel Adams! Chasing a Revolutionary Patriot Across Boston” (August 2014) https://bostoniansociety.blogspot.com/2014/08/not-that-samuel-adams-chasing.html
Preble, George. “Our Flag, Origin and Progress of the Flag of the United States of America” pp. 133-136, (1872) Kessinger’s Legacy Reprint
Zielinski, Adam. “What Was the Stamp Act Congress and Why Did It Matter?” American Battlefield Trust, 15 June 2021, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/what-was-stamp-act-congress
Very special thanks to Lori Ericson, Assistant Director of Collections, Old State House, for the many primary source references and facts regarding the Sons of Liberty Flag.
