What Boston landmark became a symbol of colonial resistance to the Stamp Act?

Boston’s Liberty Tree became a symbol of colonial resistance to the Stamp Act.

The large elm stood near Boston Common and became a gathering place for opponents of British taxation. In August 1765, protesters displayed an effigy of Andrew Oliver, the colony’s appointed stamp distributor, on the tree. The public action helped turn the site into a rallying point for the resistance movement.

The tree was associated with the Sons of Liberty and the name “Liberty Hall” was used for the surrounding area. Loyalists cut the original tree down in August 1775, shortly after the Revolutionary War began. Liberty trees in other colonial communities later echoed the Boston symbol. The landmark predates the Declaration of Independence by eleven years, showing that organized resistance developed well before 1776.