The American Liberty elm was planted in honor of those who lost their lives in the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and was named after the Liberty Tree, the country's first symbol of freedom. On the morning of August 14, 1765, the people of Boston discovered two effigies suspended from an elm tree in protest of the Stamp Act, and from that day forward the elm became known as the Liberty Tree. For the next ten years it stood in silent witness to countless meetings, speeches, and celebrations, and often served as the rallying place for the Sons of Liberty. In August 1775, as a last act of violence before their evacuation of Boston, British soldiers cut it down because it bore the name Liberty.