65, soon after the passage of the
stamp act, and had among its members most of the leading patriots of the
day. Their organization was secret, with private pass-words, to protect
them from Tory spies. On public occasions, each member wore, suspended
from his neck, a medal, on one side of which was the figure of a
stalwart arm, grasping in its hand a pole, surmounted with a cap of
liberty, and surrounded by the words, "Sons of Liberty." On the reverse
was a representation of Liberty Tree. It was under this tree, in the
open space known as "Liberty Hall,"--at the junction of Newbury, Orange
and Essex Streets,--that their public meetings in Boston were held.

The Sons of Liberty issued warrants for the arrest of suspected persons;
arranged in secret caucus the preliminaries of elections, and the
programme for public celebrations; and in fact were the mainspring,
under the guidance of the popular leaders, of every public demonstration
against the government. In Boston they probably numbered about three
hundred. The 14th of August,--the anniversary of the repeal of the stamp
act,--was celebrated by them for several years, with grand display and
festivity.

Under date of January 15, 1766, John Adams says, in his diary: "I spent
the evening with the Sons of Liberty, at their own apartment, in Hanover
Square, near the Tree of Liberty. It is a counting-room, in Chase &
Speakman's distillery; a very small room it is. There were present, John
Avery, a distiller, of liberal education; John Smith, the brazier;
Thomas Crafts,[4] the painter; Benjamin Edes,[5] the printer; Stephen
Cleverly, brazier; Thomas Chase, distiller; Joseph Fields, master of a
vessel; Henry Bass; George Trott, jeweller; and Henry Welles. I was very
cordially and respectfully treated by all present. We had punch, wine,
pipes and tobacco, biscuit and cheese, etc. They chose a committee to
make preparations for grand rejoicings upon the arrival of the news of a
repeal of the stamp act." The counting-room of which Adams speaks,
could, from its small size, have been the committee-room of the body
only.

Governor Bernard wished to send some of the leading Sons of Liberty to
England, for trial, but did not dare do so. New York was the centre of
the organization, to which all communications from the other colonies
were sent. A correspondent in London kept them informed of the
proceedings and designs of the British ministry.

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