During the American Revolution, liberty poles dotted the colonial landscape. They symbolized the yearn for freedom from British Rule. These poles were usually topped by either a banner emblazoned with patriotic phrases or a red liberty cap called a Phrygian. If a red ensign (flag) appeared on the pole, it was a signal for Patriots to assemble and decide on their reactions to the latest acts of British oppression. To this day, liberty poles still appear on State Seals (NJ, NC, AK) and a Phrygian is displayed on the Seal of the US Senate and the War Office Seal of the US Army, as symbols of the country's pathway to Independence. 

The first documented liberty pole of the American Revolution was erected on the New York City common on May 21, 1766. However, that pole didn't declare liberty, it celebrated the repeal of the Stamp Act. It was a tall pine mast, affixed with a sign that read “George 3rd, Pitt – Liberty”. This referred to King George III and William Pitt the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham, a member of the House of Lords. Pitt was viewed as a hero in the colonies, because he opposed the coercive policies imposed on them and recognized the Continental Congress as a legitimate body to manage colonial affairs. A few weeks later, a large crowd added the St. George’s Cross flag to the pole to celebrate the King’s birthday. The pole represented the colonists’ victory in defeating the Stamp Act. The citizens were thankful to the King and Parliament for acknowledging them as rightful British subjects entitled to all the liberties of Englishmen.

However, this attitude started to shift as Parliament imposed the 1767 Townshend Acts. Major tensions grew between the quartered British soldiers and New York City’s residents who were forced to accommodate them at their own expense. The soldiers viewed the pole as an affront to imperial rule and tore it down. This act transformed the pole into a “Declaration of War against our Freedom and Property.” The pole was promptly replaced and torn down again. This happened three more times, with the last removal done with explosives.  Each replacement was marked by an escalation in violence between the Sons of Liberty and the Redcoats, eventually resulting in the Battle of Golden Hill on Jan. 19, 1770. This confrontation resulted in injuries on both sides, an historically disputed death, and some great Patriotic propaganda. The fifth and last NYC Liberty pole was erected on Feb. 6, 1770. The pole remained in place until the revolutionary New York Provincial Congress took control of the city in 1775, and in July 1776, it served as a site for the reading of the Declaration of Independence.

In Boston, a 120-year-old elm tree served as a rallying point of defiance against the Stamp Act. It became known as the Liberty Tree in 1765 after effigies of the local appointed stamp tax collector and the parliamentary ministers thought responsible for the act were hung from its limbs. However, once the act was repealed in 1766, the tree was decorated with flags and streamers, and at night lanterns were fastened to its branches. However, the happiness in being British quickly eroded. Eventually, a liberty pole was erected next to the tree, and the area became known as Liberty Hall. For a decade, many protests began at this elm, resulting in one Loyalist making the comment, “This tree was consecrated for an Idol for the Mob to Worship”. 

After the battles of Lexington and Concord, occupying British soldiers and Loyalists cut down the tree and used it for firewood. When the British evacuated Boston in March 1776, the returning Patriots promptly replaced the liberty pole and didn't forget their tree. Instead, it was commemorated for many years as the "Liberty Stump". The most notable acknowledgement was from the Marquis de Lafayette in 1825. During his farewell tour of the United States, he visited the site remarking that "The world should never forget the spot where once stood Liberty Tree, so famous in your annals" 

Liberty poles sprung up throughout the colonies. One of the most notable in NH was erected by the town of Portsmouth in January 1766. The pole flew a flag that proclaimed “Liberty, Property, & No Stamps”. Another liberty pole in Vineyard Haven (Martha’s Vineyard, MA) had a story that was quite unique. Around 1778, their pole was coveted by the captain of the British Man of War, Unicorn. He needed to replace the ship's broken mizzen mast and demanded the liberty pole, or he would reduce the town to ashes. The town selectmen were pressured to concede. Three disappointed and brave young girls took the situation into their own hands. In the dead of the night, using powder from one of their father’s powder horns (secured in a petticoat), an auger, and fire from a warming pan, they blew up the pole. Knowing nothing of their plans, the local authorities were just as surprised as the ship’s captain. The town was saved! (The truth didn’t come out until years later when the three girls had all become grandmothers. Their grandchildren were the first to know!)