The Sons of Liberty were colonial patriots fighting for freedom who sometimes hurt and killed innocent people. Some of their tactics were the same as terrorists. Their leader was Samuel Adams. They arose in 1765 to oppose the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act was the first tax put on the people of the colonies from Britain. The Sons of Liberty tried to arouse the anger of the colonists towards Britain. They were active from North Carolina to New Hampshire, and existed from 1765-1783.

Not only did the Sons of Liberty oppose the Stamp Act,they also were involved in causing rebellion during the Townshed Acts and the Tea Act. To protest the Tea Act, the Sons of Liberty dressed up as Indians and threw British tea off of three ships that were anchored at Boston Harbor. They got their name when Isaac Barre', a member of the British Parliament supporting colonial opposition to the Stamp Act, referred to the colonists as " these sons of liberty."

One thing it is said they were involved was the Boston Massacre. One cold night in March of 1770 in the city of Boston, as a British soldier was standing outside the Customs House, a young boy came up and started harassing him. After a while the British soldier got so angry, he struck the boy with his musket. The young boy ran away and brought back more colonists. Since the colonists were so angry they started throwing snowballs and rocks at the soldier. Pretty soon there was a handful of soldiers and hundreds of angry colonists. After a while the soldiers fired and killed the colonists. They say Samuel Adams was in the crowd and yelled fire, causing the British soldiers to fire into the crowd. He did this so the colonists would get angrier at Britain.

The Sons of Liberty were tired of British rule. They wanted the colonists to fight against Britain so that they could be free of their rule.

Links to other pages:

Back to American Revolution Home Page

Back to Gordon Russell Middle School home page

Another site about the Sons of Liberty asking if they are patriots or terrorists.

Another site about the Sons of Liberty

A site on the Stamp Act

Bibliography:

"Sons of Liberty." New Standard Encyclopedia. 1998 ed.

"Sons of Liberty." World Book Encyclopedia. 1997 ed.