liberty pole

[ lib-er-tee pohl ]

noun

1. Also called liberty tree. American History. a pole or tree, often with a liberty cap or a banner at the top, usually located on a village green or in a market square, used by the Sons of Liberty in many colonial towns as a symbol of protest against British rule and around which anti-British rallies were held.
2. a tall flagpole, traditionally with a liberty cap at the top, serving as a symbol of liberty.

Word History and Origins

Origin of liberty pole¹

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

Last April, early in the pandemic, Washington’s two distilleries – Liberty Pole Spirits and Red Pump – made hand sanitizer from high-proof grain alcohol.

From Washington Times

They also erected a Liberty Pole and seized, tarred and feathered British loyalist John Hopkins, parading him through the streets of Savannah.

From Washington Times

The grounds include the Liberty Pole, a monument near the sanctuary with a history dating back to 1783, marking the departure of British soldiers.

From New York Times

They raised a “liberty pole” - a symbol of independence that provocatively called to mind the American Revolution two decades earlier.

From Washington Times

When the hated Stamp Act was repealed in 1766 by the administration of William Pitt, a liberty pole was erected in triumph in what is now City Hall Park, with a flag reading, “The King, Pitt and Liberty.”

From New York Times