The Declaratory Act, Gadsden & Charleston's Sons of Liberty

McCrady:

Gadsden and the Declaratory Act

The people of South Carolina were generally satisfied, and were earnest in their allegiance to the mother country. There were some, however, among those who were uniting in doing honor to the newly arrived Governor who were not content with the action of Parliament, and who fully appreciated the significance of the Declaratory act, and chief of these was Christopher Gadsden. He was still for decisive and energetic measures. He thought it folly to temporize, and insisted that cordial reconciliation was impossible under these terms ; and while the community was in ecstasy at the repeal of the Stamp act, he received it, with its accompanying declaration, with indignation. His followers were mostly among the artisans and mechanics of the town, and chief among these was William Johnson, a blacksmith.

We have it on the authority of John Rutledge that William Johnson was the man who first moved the ball of revolution in Charlestown. He was an upright, influential, and intelligent mechanic, a man of considerable inherited means, who had not long since come into this province from New York.1 At his instance two or three individuals assembled with him under an oak tree in Hampstead, or Mazyckboro', then a suburb of the town, and discussed the aggressions of the mother country. This oak became famous afterward as the "Liberty Tree." It stood in the centre of the square known as Mazyckboro', now bounded by Charlotte, Washington, Calhoun, and Alexander streets. It was a place of social and political gatherings, and, as we shall see, much was done under its branches to further the cause of American independence. It became the place of the meetings of the Non-importation Association, and under its shade the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed with the most imposing ceremonies. 

When Charlestown was surrendered to Sir Henry Clinton, the tree was still in its original beauty. But its name and associations rendered it an object of aversion to the British authorities. It was not only cut down by them, but a fire was made under the still upright trunk by piling its branches around it, that the destruction might be complete. The low black stump was alone visible when the city was evacuated and the Revolution at an end.

In the course of time others were added to the original number of those who met with William Johnson under this tree, and upon one occasion, in the fall of 1766, Christopher Gadsden addressed them at considerable length on the folly of relaxing their opposition and vigilance, or of indulging the fallacious hope that Great Britain would relinquish her designs or pretensions. He then drew their attention to the preamble of the act, forcibly pressed upon them the folly of rejoicing at an act that still asserted and maintained the absolute dominion of Great Britain over them ; and then, reviewing all the chances of succeeding in a struggle to break the fetters, whenever again imposed upon them, he pressed them to prepare their minds for the event. The address was received with silent and profound attention, and with linked hands the whole party pledged themselves to resist — a pledge which was fully redeemed when the hour of trial arrived.