"OTD 1765, the British official charged with administering the hated #StampAct was hung in effigy from an elm tree near Boston Common. ...Over the next weeks, the great elm emerged as the place in Boston for protest meetings. People of all classes — including unskilled laborers, #enslaved people, & #women, who were normally excluded from official town meetings — flocked to the "Liberty Tree" to post notices, hear speeches, & hold outdoor meetings."
The Story Behind a Forgotten Symbol of the #AmericanRevolution: The Liberty Tree. While #Boston landmarks like the Old North Church still stand, the Liberty Tree, gone for nearly 250 years, has been lost to history | Smithsonian Magazine
Decent backgrounder for general audience, tho this framing strikes me as a bit odd: sure, tree is gone, but phenomenon remains well known & was in fact depicted on the reverse of the first US Bicentennial medal https://www.nytimes.com/1972/05/28/archives/us-medallion-features-washington.html
@CitizenWald Very good podcast on some roots at the Massachusetts Historical Society:
https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-2-episode-9-roots-liberty-mhs-mystery
Can't seem to find any records of local liberty trees or poles.
@oschene Perfect timing! I look forward to listening