The Sons of Liberty, and some Daughters, were the independent spark in the colonial emotions that led to the American Revolution and are the subject of this Ph.D. dissertation at Liberty University in the Doctorate of Philosophy in History program. The Sons of Liberty group helped force change in the British Atlantic coastal colonies, starting with The Sugar Act of 1764 and The Stamp Act crisis that began in 1765. With trade being a foundational aspect of colonial economics, the taxation of those goods had immediate effects on subjects that did not have a say in passing said taxation and revenue laws.[1]
There have been few focused historical writings about the group, also known as Liberty Men. The Sons of Liberty have been included with other topics through analyses of specific people or events. The Sons of Liberty have substantial gaps in the historiography as a consequence. One such gap that will be the focus of this research is the religious aspects of the group members. Did the Sons of Liberty have any spiritual aspect to their motivations or behaviors?
The colonial era and the Revolutionary period were alive with religious dynamics on top of all the other events during those nearly two centuries in the Atlantic colonies. The Great Awakening occurred from the 1720s to the 1740s. Many leaders of the day were highly religious, and some were preachers. The Sons of Liberty members included preachers, merchants, business owners, lawyers, artisans, sailors, and financiers. Some were from society’s elite, with much to lose in opposing the Crown and the British parliament. Many were called ‘common folk’ who would not be considered elite in society but did well enough to support their families regularly.
Most colonists obeyed the Crown and British parliament until the Stamp Act Crisis. That event began dividing the colonists into Loyalists and Revolutionaries in short order. The laws passed by the Mother country would be the primary catalyst for the permanent discontent that would not be stopped without physical enforcement on both sides. Almost to a man, the elite of the society had classical training or was self-educated to elevate their station. In the colonies, it was possible to rise above the place where your birth placed you in society. Often either educational path a person took included religious primers as their text to learn reading and writing.
Exploring how the religious foundations underpinned society and would inform a person’s decisions or opinions from an ethical and practical standard was part of the pre-Revolutionary events. The Sons of Liberty took a dangerous path with the wholehearted conviction that their cause was just with the understanding that it could cost them everything, including their lives. Few at any time in history have felt that way about a cause without feeling a higher power was informing and supporting them in that action.
Understanding the spiritual motivations behind many members will inform the strength of their convictions and approach to their actions. Not all members agreed with the more aggressive behaviors of some in the various colonies. All agreed that an injustice was being levied upon them. These events began to bring the thirteen Atlantic British colonies into a single understanding that they were Americans. They had a strength when they worked together and moved collectively toward a goal. The actions of the Sons of Liberty, in particular, helped to force the British parliament to repeal the Stamp Act before it even went into effect.
Starting in earnest with the Sons of Liberty, freedom has long been a staple of American society but has always required a cost. The study of the Sons of Liberty has taken a relatively dark turn in recent decades, though the group has not had a favorable messenger in over a century. Some historians have used terms like ‘terrorists’ in describing the behaviors of the group. It is unclear whether the view of the colonists’ side remains viable in the recent application within the historiography to modern historians. Both sides of the struggle should be understood to grasp the events at the time fully. It should be seen as it was, not have opinions filtered through modern eyes.
The Founding era is particularly interesting and will be part of a larger project post-graduation and dissertation completion. A sizable portion of the degree program has been in American history from the two hundred colonial years before the Revolution to the current era. Arguably the beginning of the American Spirit started with the Sons of Liberty and the Revolutionary time, and America carries that spirit still.
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[1] Sons of Liberty, New York, July 7, 1769, (Chester, Vermont: Readex Newsbank, Inc., 2002-2004), http://0 opac.newsbank.com.library.lausys.georgetown.edu/select /evans/11379 (accessed October 30, 2022).