Trees of Liberty
The Tree of Liberty: Why Freedom Needs Deep Roots in God’s Truth
Dr. Perry Greene traces the meaning of the Tree of Liberty, the pine tree flag, and the phrase “An Appeal to Heaven” to show why America’s freedom was never meant to be merely political. This message matters because liberty can wither when it is cut loose from truth, faith, courage, and dependence on God. Readers will learn how Dr. Greene connects early American symbols with Scripture and why the roots beneath freedom matter as much as the banner above it.
Dr. Perry Greene begins with one of the earliest and most powerful symbols of American resistance: the Tree of Liberty. Before independence was declared and before the American flag became the familiar symbol it is today, colonists gathered beneath a large elm near Boston Common. Beginning in 1765, patriots, including the Sons of Liberty, used that tree as a public meeting place to protest the Stamp Act and challenge British authority.
Dr. Greene explains that the tree became more than a convenient landmark. It became a visible emblem of colonial unity, public courage, and resistance to tyranny. When British troops eventually cut it down in 1775, the act did not erase its meaning. Instead, patriots responded by planting new Liberty Trees in other colonies, allowing the image to spread. In Dr. Greene’s telling, the tree represented growth, endurance, and natural rights granted by God rather than by kings.
That distinction sits at the center of his message. Liberty, as Dr. Greene presents it, was not treated by the early patriots as a privilege handed down by government. It was understood as something rooted in a higher authority. Human rulers could recognize it, violate it, defend it, or attack it, but they did not create it. This is why the tree imagery mattered. A tree does not merely stand on the surface. Its life depends on what is underneath. If the roots are deep, the tree can endure storms. If the roots are severed, the leaves eventually dry up.
Dr. Greene then connects the Liberty Tree to another early American image: the pine tree flag. The tree on that banner was not the elm tree from Boston, but the New Hampshire pine. Still, he argues that the symbolism came from the same spiritual soil. The Tree of Liberty represented a people’s moral stand for freedom. The pine tree flag represented an appeal to Heaven as the final judge of justice.
To explain the force of that symbol, Dr. Greene turns to the pine mast laws. In 1722, British law prohibited New Hampshire settlers from cutting down certain large white pine trees, reserving them for the king’s potential naval use. For years, the law was not aggressively enforced. That changed when John Wentworth became royal governor and began cracking down on violations. In April 1772, royal authorities arrested sawmill owner Ebenezer Mudgett of Weare, New Hampshire, accusing him of violating the law.
Dr. Greene notes that New Englanders had long resented these laws because they viewed them as intrusions on their livelihoods and liberties. After Mudgett was released on bail, he and about twenty townsmen disguised themselves, entered the local inn where the sheriff and his deputy were staying, seized them, beat them, and drove them out of town before a jeering crowd. Mudgett and eight others were later arrested and charged with rioting and assault, but a sympathetic judge gave them nominal fines.
The account is not presented as a casual celebration of disorder. Rather, Dr. Greene uses it to show how deeply the colonists had come to associate the pine tree with resistance to royal overreach. The so-called Pine Tree Riot became part of the broader atmosphere of colonial defiance and may have helped inspire later resistance, including the Boston Tea Party. The pine tree, like the Liberty Tree, became a symbol of moral resistance to a government viewed as unjust.
During the Battle of Bunker Hill, Dr. Greene explains, New England colonial troops flew pine tree flags. These were red battle flags with a pine tree in the upper left. Then, in October 1775, George Washington commissioned a pine tree flag for the American Navy. This design featured a pine tree on a white field with the words “An Appeal to Heaven” above it.
That phrase is central to Dr. Greene’s message. He points to John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, where Locke described situations in which violence and injury are committed by those appointed to administer justice. When earthly authorities become instruments of injustice and there is no just authority left to appeal to, Locke described the only remaining remedy as “an appeal to heaven.” In Dr. Greene’s explanation, this meant that when the oppressed had no rightful temporal authority to hear their cause, they appealed to the judgment of God.
This idea must be handled carefully. Dr. Greene’s point is not that people should treat every frustration as tyranny or every disagreement as a divine mandate. The weight of the phrase “An Appeal to Heaven” is exactly the opposite. It assumes that justice is real, that God is righteous, and that human action is accountable to Him. It is a sober declaration that liberty is not lawlessness. It is an appeal to the highest judge when earthly justice has failed.
From there, Dr. Greene moves from early American symbolism to Scripture. Psalm 1:3 describes the righteous person as a tree planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in season. Jeremiah 17:7-8 emphasizes that the person who trusts in the Lord is like a tree that does not fear heat and does not stop bearing fruit. These passages give Dr. Greene a biblical frame for understanding liberty itself. Freedom that is rooted in righteousness can endure. Freedom separated from God eventually withers.
That contrast is one of the strongest themes in his message. Liberty is not sustained by slogans alone. It is not preserved merely because a nation has symbols, flags, ceremonies, or founding stories. Those things can remind people of truth, but they cannot replace truth. A tree painted on a flag means little if the people carrying it no longer have roots. The visible symbol must point back to an invisible foundation.
Dr. Greene’s message also challenges a shallow view of patriotism. He does not reduce love of country to nostalgia or emotional attachment to historic imagery. Instead, he presents the symbols of early America as reminders of moral responsibility. The Tree of Liberty and the pine tree flag both point beyond themselves. They call citizens to ask whether freedom is being nourished by faith, conscience, truth, and courage.
That is why his reflection on June 14 is more than a history lesson. As Americans honor the symbolism of the flag, Dr. Greene urges them to remember the original banner: the Tree of Liberty. The tree still calls people to vigilance. It reminds them that freedom must be guarded not only from external threats, but also from internal decay. A nation can lose liberty through tyranny, but it can also lose it through spiritual neglect, moral confusion, and indifference to truth.
Dr. Greene makes the warning plain: without deep roots in God’s truth, the leaves of liberty dry up and tyranny can recapture America. The image is direct because the issue is serious. A tree may look healthy for a season even while its roots are weakening. In the same way, a nation may retain its language of freedom while losing the convictions that make freedom possible. The danger is not merely political. It is spiritual and moral.
This is where Psalm 33:12 enters his conclusion: blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Dr. Greene uses that passage to remind listeners that the ultimate appeal is still to Heaven and to the righteous judge who blesses nations that honor Him. The message is not that America is automatically righteous because of its history. It is that any nation seeking the fruit of freedom must keep its roots nourished in truth, faith, and courage.
For daily life, the application begins close to home. Dr. Greene’s message asks readers to examine the roots beneath their own understanding of freedom. Freedom should not be treated as permission to do whatever one wants. It should be stewarded as a gift under God’s authority. That means telling the truth when deception is easier, practicing courage when silence is safer, honoring conscience when compromise is convenient, and remembering that public liberty depends on private faithfulness.
It also means teaching the next generation that American symbols are not empty decorations. The tree, the flag, and the appeal to Heaven all point to convictions that must be understood if they are to be preserved. Children and young adults do not inherit deep roots automatically. They must be shown why liberty matters, where it comes from, and why it must remain connected to truth.
Dr. Greene’s closing image is one of vigilance and dependence on God. The light must keep burning. The roots must stay nourished. The appeal must still rise to Heaven. If the fruit of freedom is to remain, the people who enjoy it must remember that liberty cannot live long when cut off from the God who gives meaning to justice, righteousness, and truth.
TL;DR
Dr. Perry Greene presents the Tree of Liberty as one of the earliest symbols of American resistance to British tyranny.
The Liberty Tree in Boston became a gathering place for colonial protest, unity, and moral courage.
The pine tree flag carried a similar meaning, pointing to liberty rooted in a higher authority than government.
Dr. Greene explains the pine mast laws and the Pine Tree Riot as part of the colonial resistance to royal overreach.
The phrase “An Appeal to Heaven” reflected the belief that God is the final judge when earthly justice fails.
Psalm 1:3 and Jeremiah 17:7-8 help frame righteousness and trust in God as deep roots that sustain endurance.
Dr. Greene warns that liberty apart from God withers.
The message calls Americans to vigilance, truth, faith, and courage.
Freedom is not merely a political possession; it is a moral stewardship under God.
To keep the fruit of freedom, people must keep its roots nourished.
Discussion + Reflection Section
Discussion Questions
Why does Dr. Greene use tree imagery to explain the strength or weakness of liberty?
What does the phrase “An Appeal to Heaven” communicate about justice, authority, and dependence on God?
How can patriotic symbols become empty if people forget the convictions behind them?
What does it mean for freedom to be rooted in righteousness rather than merely protected by law?
Where might individuals, families, churches, or communities need to nourish deeper roots in truth, faith, and courage?
Apply It This Week
Read Psalm 1:3 and Jeremiah 17:7-8, then consider what kind of spiritual roots are being formed through daily habits.
Choose one area where truth needs to be practiced more courageously, even if it costs comfort or approval.
Talk with a family member or friend about the meaning behind the Tree of Liberty, the pine tree flag, or “An Appeal to Heaven.”
Pray specifically for America to be rooted in righteousness, not merely protected by tradition.
Identify one freedom that is often taken for granted and give thanks to God for the responsibility that comes with it.
Prayer Prompt
Lord, keep our lives and our nation rooted in Your truth. Teach us to honor freedom as a gift under Your authority, not as a possession to use selfishly. Give us courage, faith, and wisdom to stand for what is right, and help us keep the fruit of freedom nourished by righteousness. Amen.