Commonly Flown: August 1765 – 1775

Flag Description

The Sons of Liberty Flag features nine vertical stripes alternating red and white. These stripes symbolized the nine colonies that participated in the Stamp Act Congress of 1765. Often flown from Liberty Trees or carried during protests, the flag became a bold emblem of colonial resistance against British taxation and authority.

Editorial Commentary

The Sons of Liberty Flag is among the earliest visual symbols of American resistance. Its nine vertical red and white stripes represented the nine colonies that convened to oppose the Stamp Act in 1765—a bold act of unity in defiance of British taxation. Unlike later flags that emphasized national identity, this banner was raw, urgent, and local. It flew over Liberty Trees and protest gatherings, marking spaces where colonial dissent took root.

This flag did not speak of a new nation—it shouted against imperial overreach. It was a call to action, not yet a call to independence. In many ways, it reflects the emotional temperature of the early revolution: reactive, principled, and unafraid. The Sons of Liberty themselves were not a formal army but a network of agitators, printers, and tradesmen. Their flag mirrored their ethos—simple, striking, and uncompromising.

In the context of Patriot Echoes, the Sons of Liberty Flag stands as a visual prelude to the revolution’s escalation. It reminds us that before there was a Declaration, there was defiance. Before there was unity, there was outrage. And before there was a republic, there was a tree, a banner, and a crowd unwilling to be silenced.