“An Old Custom” -The Liberty Pole of Deerfield 1774

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From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information


About this item

This booklet, published in 1946 at the close of World War II when patriotism was high, recounts the history of the 18th century liberty poles erected in many towns in the colonies prior to the Revolutionary War. A pole was brought to Deerfield, Massachusetts, on July 28, 1774, with the intent of erecting it the following day, but it was sawn in half during the night. Another pole replaced it and was hoisted without incident. Many small New England towns in the 18th century were populated by citizens with divided political opinions; Sons of Liberty coexisted with those who continued their allegiance to King George. Deerfield’s present liberty pole, erected in 1946, reminds us of the political turmoil in the 18th century town.

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Details

Item typeBooklet
AuthorFlynt, Helen Geier
Date1946
PlaceDeerfield, Massachusetts
TopicCivil Rights, Protest, Dissent
Politics, Government, Law, Civics
EraRevolutionary America, 1763–1783
Counterculture, Civil Rights, and Cold War, 1946–1989
MaterialPaper
Process/FormatPrinting
Dimension detailsProcess Material: printed paper, ink Height: 9.25 in Width: 6.00 in
Catalog #L98.043
View this item in our curatorial database →
Flynt, Helen Geier. An Old Custom. 1946. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l98-043/. Accessed on October 11, 2024.

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