1846 Phelps 'Tree of Liberty' Patriotic Broadside

This is an 1846 Humphrey Phelps political broadside of the United States as the Tree of Liberty. Thirty-six medallions adorn the branches: 34 represent states and two, at top center, depict the Great Seal of the United States.

A Closer Look

Statistics relating to each state, including when it was first settled, when it was admitted to the Union, its population in 1790 and 1840, and the miles of railroads, post-roads, and canals within its borders, appear below each medallion. Three young arborists collectively represent American economy. One is a farmer, holding a plow and a bushel of wheat. Another is a blacksmith with hammer and anvil. The third is a sailor, seated next to the tree's trunk, resting on a ship's anchor, and holding a sextant. Two vignettes occupy the lower corners. On the left is a view of the landing of Christopher Columbus in San Salvador. On the right, a view presents the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock.

The Tree of Liberty

The expression 'Tree of Liberty' harkens to a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to William S. Smith, a diplomatic official in London, on November 13, 1787. The full quote reads,

What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure…

The letter concerned Daniel Shays' 1786-1787 rebellion in Massachusetts. While Jefferson did not support the underlying causes of the Shays Rebellion, he did support the rebellion itself as a proper expression of men's natural rights to overthrow an unjust system. The letter is a window into just how fiery Jefferson's own political thinking had become. In modern times, the 'Tree of Liberty' has taken on darker meanings and is often associated with terrorist and political fringe groups. Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City Bomber, wore a tee-shirt emblazoned with a bloody 'Tree of Liberty' in 1995 and in 2009 William Kostric carried a sign reading 'Time to water the tree of liberty' when he carried a semi-automatic handgun to President Obama's Town Hall Meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Publication History and Census

This broadside was created and published by Humphrey Phelps in 1846. We note three OCLC examples: New-York Historical Society, the American Antiquarian Society, and Williams College. An additional example is located at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1846, Ensign and Thayer published their own edition of this Tree of Liberty broadside. Phelps worked closely with both Ensign and Thayer, so it is likely that both editions were printed from the same plate.