Liberty pole

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/liberty-pole

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary significance?Represents freedom from oppressive rule, republicanism, and the assertion of popular sovereignty
2. Why did people put a cap on the pole?The cap, called the Phrygian cap, reminds us of freed slaves and means that everyone is free. It turns the pole into a powerful symbol of freedom.
3. Where did the idea of the liberty pole start?The idea began after Julius Caesar was killed in 44 BCE. His killers put a cap on a spear to show Rome was free from Caesar’s rule.

Liberatores: The name adopted by the assassins of Julius Caesar, signifying their role as liberators.
Pileus: An ancient Roman cap, often worn by freed slaves, which became a symbol of liberty.
Republicanism: A political ideology centered on the concept of a republic, where supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives.