See also: Wire of freedom

The Fils of Freedom (in English, Sounds off Liberty ) indicate a secret organization of patriotic American, during the rebellion of the 13 colonies against the England, at the end of the 18th century. They resisted British oppression while attacking with the symbols of the British capacity in America, but also with its agents and those which supported the Crown. They were implied in the boycott campaigns and the urban riots of the context prérévolutionnaire.

The British authorities and the loyal supporters regarded them as a rebellious and seditious association; they called them the “Wire of Violence” ( Sons off Violence ) or “the Wire of iniquity” ( Sons off Iniquity ).

History

The expression “Wire of Freedom” is used for the first time following a debate on the Stamp Act with the English Parlement in 1765. Charles Townshend, which had spoken to defend its project, compared the American colonists with children planted, nourished and protected by the British Crown. Isaac Bars, a defender of the colonists, answered him by describing the Americans like wire of freedom and informs it that they would resist the new taxes imposed by the Stamp Act .

Stamp Act was adopted by the Parliament and was promulgated by the king the March 22nd 1765, but came into effective force only on November 1st, 1765. It imposed the payment of a stamp for any publication and printed. It caused a great animosity on behalf of the American colonists and was hardly applied. The collectors of tax were indeed threatened to be last with the tar and the feathers ( tarring and feathering ) by the most radical colonists. Many colonists refused to pay the stamps and the situation was radicalized. With Boston, members of the organization hung and burned an effigy of Andrew Oliver, an agent of the stamp. Its house was plundered and its office was burnt. The residence of the Governor of the Massachusetts, Thomas Hutchinson was also vandalisée. Many associations transfer the day in order to organize the protest: they will be soon known like Wire of Freedom. Similar incidents occurred with New York and Charleston. The stamps were seized and destroyed, and the molestés agents. Committees of correspondence ( Committees off Correspondence ) constituted themselves to link the opponents and to relay the calls to the Boycott English goods. When Massachusetts asked for the behavior of a general meeting, nine colonies sent representatives to the Stamp Act Congress which was held with the Federal Hall of New York in October 1765. The Stamp Act was finally repealed because of the protests of the colonists and the English craftsmen, struck by the boycott of their goods.

In 1767, the Wire of freedom adopted a flag with nine vertical bands (5 reds and 4 white) corresponding to the number of colonies represented with the Stamp Act Congress. The flag with 13 red and white bands horizontal used by the American trading vessels during the war of independence, was also associated with Wire of Freedom.

Organization and actions

In unconscious popular American, the Wire of Freedom was a secret organization whose leaders were however known. The expression ends up indicating very opposing to the fiscal policy and soldier of the metropolis. The sociological profile of Wire of Freedom was not uniform: one found as well lawyers as workmen. The most important representatives of this movement were Paul Revere, Thomas Young, Joseph Warren, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, James Otis, Thomas Crafts Jr, John Adams and his cousin, Samuel Adams, which was the leader of the rebellion in New England.

The actions of Wire of Freedom went from the publication of lampoon, with the plantation of trees of freedom, meetings to urban violence. The committees of correspondence allowed establishes a network between associations of the various American cities. After the Tea Act authorizing the English Company of the Eastern Indies to sell its in the thirteen colonies, John Hancock organized a boycott in 1773. The December 16th 1773, sixty Bostonians identified as of Wire of Freedom climbed on board three English ships alongside in the port dressed up as Amerindian. Silently, they opened the barrels and threw their contents over edge, then they closed again them to give them to their place, empty. Nothing stolen or was intentionally destroyed, put aside the 45 tons (: 90000 pounds) of the, a value of: 10000 £ . This blow of glare, known under the name of Boston Tea Party, is one of the most famous actions of Wire of Freedom.

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