Liberty poles were erected in the American colonies in the years before the Revolutionary War as a symbol of resistance to British rule. They occasionally were surmounted with a liberty cap (a loose-fitting cloth cap) or had a flag flown from them. They became rallying points for partisans of both sides; those opposed to the resistance often attacked the poles. It is not recorded whether people in Greenfield, Massachusetts, erected a liberty pole in the years before the Revolution but it is likely, given their solid record of support for the revolutionaries. The pole stood on Main Street in front of the common for decades. This stereoscopic photograph was taken soon after the Civil War.