"tree of liberty", 1765, a little earlier (OED, also 1765)

[Joel S. Berson]

Previously I wrote that the earliest occurrence I found of "tree of
liberty" searching EAN was Oct. 17, 1765.  A secondary source has led
me to an earlier instance, Sept. 16.  (Remember that the effigy of
Oliver was strung up just one month earlier, on Aug. 14.)

The Great Tree at the [S]outh End of the Town, upon which the
Effigies [sic] of a Stamp Master was lately hung, was honour'd last
Wednesday with the Name of The Tree of Liberty; a large Plate of
Copper, with that Inscription, in Letters of Geld; being fixed thereon.

Source:  The Boston-Gazette, and Country Journal. Monday, September
16, 1765. page 3 [counting "Supplement" as page 1], col.
2.  [EAN]  This too is a 6-page issue, with only the first page [in
EAN's sequence] having the masthead "Supplement".  It is another case
where EAN may not have the pages in correct sequence.

Joel

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