So the Fourth of July is coming upon us. America's independance from Britian was declared in 1776. That was a very good thing for America. As part of the ole geneology search my Grandmother's great x 4 grandfather was instramental in America's independance. It is no big deal and most people don't know about him. Who is this person? His name was Ebenezer McIntosh. He was a shoemaker in South Boston and was one of the leaders of the Sons of Liberty. He organized 2000 men to riot against the British. He was a king mixer, a real troublemaker.

It was August 14th, 1765 and Ebenezer decided he had enough of the British taking over and taxing stamps and instead of being much of a thinker he decided to actually do something. So he fashioned himself an effigy of a tax man named Andrew Oliver and hung it on a tree on Newbury street. He even included a boot with it and had a devil climbing out of the boot. Definitely the work of a shoemaker. The boot was a play on the name of the Earl of Bute and the whole display was intended to establish an evil connection between Oliver and the Stamp Act. The sheriffs were told to remove the display but protested in fear of their lives, for a large crowd had formed at the scene. Before the evening a mob burned Oliver's property on Kilby street, then moved on to his house. There they beheaded the effigy and stoned the house as its occupants looked out in horror. They then moved to nearby Fort Hill were they built a large fire and burned what was left of the effigy. Most of the crowd dissipated at that point, however McIntosh and crew, then under cover of darkness, ransacked Oliver's abandoned home until midnight. On that evening it became very clear who ruled Boston. The British Militia, the Sheriffs and Justices, kept a low profile. No one dared respond to such violent force.

I suppose in today's terms he could be called a terrorist. It was definitely that kind of behaviour. But I like to think it was then when the whole nation knew the Britian was in trouble and the Sons of Liberty were there to bring order. By 1766 the Sons of Liberty had establiced cells in every colony and the royal gaurd were afraid to act. It was then when the thinkers started to take over and organize larger armies. By 1776 the Declaration of Independance was signed. Flash forward to Iran today and all of the violence happening over there. What the top leaders fail to realize is that history is repeating itself. I think as the violence subsides the thinkers will organize a larger army and liberty may take 10 years to achieve. But instead of independance from a foriegn country, they will get independance from a totalitarian regime. Gooo Sons of Liberty! Happy Birthday U.S.A.!

To the relatives I discovered the Bass family motto taken from the Boylston motto the other day:
Libertatem amicitiam retinebis et fidem.
?Hold fast to liberty, friendship, and faith.?