On
the campus of St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland
stood a Tulip poplar (Liriodendron
tulipifera) that was reputed to have been more than 400 years old.
This Tulip tree was part of a grove where revolutionary leaders
like
Samuel Chase and the Sons of Liberty would gather to win over the
public. These
“Liberty Trees” were spread throughout the colonies and when the
British found
them they would chop them down.
It was already a
mature tree when Annapolis residents staged their own
tea party and burned the vessel Peggy Stewart. It was standing when
French
soldiers marched through the Annapolis to join General Washington at
Yorktown in 1781.
And it was part of the backdrop when Lafayette was present during the
festivities honoring him in December 1824.
In 1984, at the
conclusion of the Bicentennial of America celebrations, re-enactors
recreated
the Old Line of Maryland.
They were in formation with the Liberty Tree as a
background when they were officially disbanded, as seen in the photos
below.
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Tulip poplars customarily grow to be between 250 and 300 years of age. The Liberty Tree received special care from local horticultural experts, but after 400 years, the tree was devastated during Hurricane Floyd in September 1999. Following a ceremony on October 25, the Liberty Tree was taken down.