We have been subject to tyranny in the past, and a few good men and women stood up and said, “We’re mad as hell, and we’re not going to take it any more!” If you share this sentiment, like we do, let us tell you about the flags that our forefathers flew in the face of tyranny. The flag they flew had nine red and white stripes, representing the original nine colonies, and the fiercely independent colonists referred to themselves as the “Sons of Liberty”. On October 7, 1765, the Sons sent one representative from each colony to form the “Stamp Act Congress” to petition the King of England to repeal the Stamp Act, which was repealed on March 18, 1776. The flag of nine red and white stripes that represented these “Sons of Liberty” became known by the British as the “Rebellious Stripes”. Being fed up with the ridiculous taxes imposed by the King, the Sons of Liberty rallied on December 16, 1773 to oppose the Tea Act, and dumped case after case of British tea into the Atlantic in what became known as the Boston Tea Party. Three and a half years later, the colonies had grown from nine to thirteen, and they all joined forces in a decision to fight for independence from Britain, rallying under a huge elm tree which became known as the Liberty Tree - a living symbol of popular support for individual liberty and resistance to tyranny.
In the years leading up to the war, the British ridiculed the Liberty Tree. During the siege of Boston, about the last day of August 1775, a party of British loyalists defiantly cut the tree down to spite the rebel colonists, knowing what it represented to them. Then they burned the tree as firewood. This act sparked passionate outrage among the colonists. As resistance to the British mounted and grew, Sons of Liberty flags were flown to symbolize the unwavering spirit of liberty and tenacity. These flags were later a common sight during the battles of the American Revolution.