In One April in Boston, you met Ben's Uncle Alex, a cabinetmaker and member of the Sons of Liberty. This page contains more information about that organization and his involvement. It will take you from early 1765 to the time of Ben's story, which begins on Thursday, April 13, 1775.

The Sons of Liberty were formed in 1765 to protest the Stamp Act which was designed to tax paper items including newspapers, playing cards, and legal documents. The tax had the citizens of Boston in an uproar. The Sons of Liberty met secretly in local taverns and soon found a perfect location for public protest, a large elm tree that stood on Orange Street near Boston Common. On the morning of August 14, 1765, a dummy of stamp commissioner Andrew Oliver could be seen dangling from a noose on the tree's branches. Oliver later resigned from his duties as stamp master beneath the boughs of this same tree. The Sons of Liberty had begun calling it the Liberty Tree.

In October, 1765 delegates from nine colonies formed the Stamp Act Congress. They petitioned the king and Parliament, making note of their rights and complaints. On March 18, 1766, King George signed the repeal of the Stamp Act. It had become impossible to enforce due in large part to the efforts of the Sons of Liberty. Word of the repeal reached Boston in mid-May and the town soon witnessed the greatest celebration in its history. Banners flew, church bells rang, guns were fired, drums beat and Boston rejoiced in song. Debtors were released from jail after the money they owed was paid by wealthy celebrants. In the evening, there were many illuminations. Liberty Tree was a glorious sight, decorated with 150 lanterns. On the Common was a large, well-lit monument. It contained images of those who supported the colonies. Fireworks began as darkness fell, and the last rocket was fired at 11 p.m.

The victory for the Colonists was short lived, however, and the work of the Sons of Liberty was far from over. On the same day the Stamp Act was repealed in England, the Declaratory Act was passed. It stated that the British Parliament had the absolute right to make laws for the American colonies in all cases whatsoever. On June 29, 1767, Parliament took action and passed the Townshend Acts. These Acts taxed English manufactured goods including paint, glass, and tea. The Colonists were furious. In August of 1767, a flag pole had been erected at Liberty Tree, passing through and above its highest branches. When a special flag flew here, the Sons of Liberty gathered. Protesting the Townshend Acts, they harassed customs officers, kept them from their duties, broke their windows, and hung dummies of them from Liberty Tree.

In February of 1768, Sons of Liberty leader Samuel Adams wrote a Circular Letter opposing taxation without representation. It was sent throughout the colonies and called for the colonists to unite against England. In August, in Boston and New York, merchants agreed to boycott British goods until the Townshend Acts were repealed. They started the Non-Importation Movement. England began to feel the impact of the boycott and placed the blame on the instigators. Parliament sent a brigade of troops to Boston to restore order and arrest the ring leaders. The troops arrived on September 30, 1768 and marched into town on October 1. The occupation of Boston had begun.

In March of 1769, merchants in Philadelphia joined the boycott of British goods. The Sons of Liberty continued their meetings and kept a watchful eye on the British Regulars. Because the members of the Sons of Liberty were sworn to secrecy, few specifics are known about the group's meetings. Several lists of its members survive. One list contains sixty-two of its leaders and offers a description of each of them. This list was created by a Tory for publication in an English newspaper. It is known as the "London Enemies" list. A second list is entitled "An Alphabetical List of the Sons of Liberty who din'd at Liberty Tree Dorchester, Aug 14th 1769." Alexander Edwards' name appears on this list created by John Hancock's clerk William Palfrey, who was present that day. There is a detailed description of this gathering in the August 21, 1769 issue of the Boston Gazette and in the diary of John Adams.