Talbot County will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States with the dedication of a Liberty Tree at Frederick Douglass Park on the Tuckahoe on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 10 a.m. The event is part of a broader initiative under the Maryland Liberty Tree Project, which seeks to preserve the history and symbolism of Maryland’s Liberty Tree by planting descendants across the state.

The recently planted tulip poplar is a direct descendant of Maryland’s original 1775 Liberty Tree. The original tree was located on the campus of St. John’s College in Annapolis. Citizens gathered beneath the tree beginning in 1775 to oppose British rule as the colonies moved toward independence.

Unlike other Liberty Trees destroyed during the Revolutionary era, Maryland’s tree survived for more than two centuries before Hurricane Floyd felled it in 1999.

A genetically identical scion planted near the original tree in 1889 survived and continues to produce seedlings. The Maryland Liberty Tree Project is using those descendants to carry the tree’s living legacy into the nation’s 250th anniversary. The initiative calls for planting a Liberty Tree descendant in each of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City.

Talbot County chose to plant the tree at Frederick Douglass Park on the Tuckahoe, a 107-acre public park overlooking Tuckahoe Creek, in the area where Frederick Douglass was born in 1818. The park preserves a landscape closely connected to Douglass’s earliest years and includes interpretive panels exploring his life and legacy. Learn more at www.FrederickDouglassBirthplace.org.

The dedication date is especially meaningful, as it commemorates the anniversary of Douglass’s self-liberation from slavery in 1838. Born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, Douglass escaped slavery at age 20 and became one of the nation’s most influential abolitionists, writers, and orators. His formative years in Talbot County remained central to the story he told throughout his life.

The Liberty Tree Dedication Ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at Frederick Douglass Park on the Tuckahoe, 13211 Lewistown Road, Queen Anne. Guests are asked to RSVP to charris@talbotcountymd.gov by Sept. 1.

The Maryland Liberty Tree Project is a partnership between Preservation Maryland, the Maryland Center for History and Culture, the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area (SMNHA), and the Maryland Heritage Areas Coalition (MHAC), with support from the Maryland250 Commission, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, St. John’s College, Davey Tree Expert Company, and the Maryland Forestry Foundation. Local support comes from Talbot County, the Talbot250 Commission, and the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area.

Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism works to strengthen Talbot County’s economy by supporting business retention and expansion, entrepreneurship, workforce development, investment, and a vibrant visitor economy. The department connects businesses and entrepreneurs with resources, partnerships, training, and opportunities designed to support long-term economic vitality. More is at www.TalbotWorks.org.