Further antedatings: "liberty tree", "tree of liberty" (but still 1765)

[Laurence Horn]

Are these the liberty trees that are to be watered with the blood of patriots?  Or is that a particular species?

LH

On Dec 23, 2013, at 3:50 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:

> A.  "liberty tree"
>
> 18 Dec. 1765.  In a broadside, one day earlier than the
> "Massachusetts Gazette" of 19 Dec. 1765 I sent Jesse previously.  EAI
> Series 1, No. 41523.
>
> [Heading]  "Boston, (Hanover-Square,) Dec. 18, 1765."
>
> [Letter, "Dec. 16, 1765."]
>
> "therefore [we] desire that you would, To-morrow, appear under
> Liberty-Tree, at Twelve o'Clock, to make a public Resignation. Your
> Non-compliance, Sir, will incur the Displeasure of / [signed] The
> True-born Sons of Liberty."
>
> Antedates OED3 "liberty-tree", sense 1, same letter but Public
> Advertiser 1766 8 Feb.
>
>
> B.   "tree of liberty"
>
> 12 Sept. 1765.  Massachusetts Gazette and Boston News-Letter
> Extraordinary (Supplement), 1/1.  EAN.
>
> [Datelined] "Boston, September 12."
>
> "at the South Part of the Town the Trees for which many have so great
> a Veneration, were decorated with the Ensigns of Loyalty, and the
> Colours embroidered with several Mottos (which we have not been able
> to obtain---) on the Body of the largest Tree was fixed with large
> deck Nails, that it might last (as a Poet said, like oaken Bench to
> Perpetuity) a Copper-Plate with these Words stamped thereon, in
> Golden Letters, THE TREE OF LIBERTY, August 14, 1765."
>
> Antedates OED2 "tree of liberty" under "tree, n.", 1765 Universal
> Mag. 37 376/2 [which page is from the December issue].
>
> [For those interested in various other descriptions of the character
> and employment of the Tree of Liberty, EAN has four articles from
> three different Boston papers dated 4 Nov. 1765 (a significant date
> because on Nov. 1 the Stamp Act had become effective and Nov. 5, the
> next day any Boston paper published, was "Pope Day").  All EAN.
>
> Boston Gazette, 1/1:  Effigies were exhibited on it.
> Boston Evening-Post, 3/1:  Called a "Great Tree"; names the persons
> represented by the effigies.
> Boston Post-Boy Extraordinary (Supplement), page 1 (two
> columns):  "THE TREE OF LIBERTY" appears on the crest of a "portrait"
> that is "distinguished with Ensigns Armorial".
> Boston Evening-Post, 3/2:  An advertisement for a "Caricatura" having
> a representation of the "Tree of Liberty".
>
> Joel
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org