Everyone is aware of the importance of trees and their status, and this awareness turns to the majority of love and interest in nature in general and in particular, and often «that tree in the monsters of the house» very special memory with who was once a young child climbing branches, to become a close play friend, but may It is hard to believe that it could give a tree the right to own itself, but it has already happened in Greece, and specifically in Georgia.
To have full legal and social awareness and respect that a tree is free, and not a property of one, may be surprising, but it did not start as the tree, the heroine of the tale and for hundreds of years, grew and grew on the land of a local family, which means that they were owners of it too, As stipulated by law and logic, at the beginning of the 19th century, when Athens officially became a city, this tree was the longest in the town, and had no other advantages but its size and length until the nineties of that century, when all local newspapers announced that this tree had She got her independence.
It may be difficult to imagine a tree capable of defending itself, its rights and freedom, and taking its independence out of government, but it has done what is even more important.This tree has for many years been the closest and most important friend of a man named William H. Jackson, a professor at the University of Georgia in Athens at the time, whose passion for this tree prompted him to demand the freedom of his lush green girlfriend. Jackson grew up with this tree that his family owned and owned the land on which he was attached emotionally and considered his close friend, which made him give her the argument of ownership and a circular area of the surrounding land, it may also make sense to mention that it happened in the period During the Third Amendment, which officially ended slavery, it was proclaimed in 1865, the time when Jackson was granted freedom to his beloved tree.It can also be added that it was a period of reimagining and drawing a clear and explicit idea of what the concept of independence meant, and who deserved it.
Although Jackson's original property argument to his tree has not yet been found, he put a painting under this lucky tree that reads: “In recognition of the great love I have for this tree and the great desire to protect it over time, I am transferring the property. Full of this tree to itself and surrounded by an area of 8 feet from all sides - William H. Jackson.
Today, it stands in the same place as technically "the daughter of the tree that owned itself," or obtained its freedom, where the original tree fell in 1942 after being destroyed by a blizzard beyond the ability to repair or treat, but the attachment to this tree was not exclusive On Jackson, where her love grew in the hearts of the people of Athens as well, who planted a plant in the same place was taken from the fruits of oak belonging to the original tree, a plant that has grown to reach a height of 15 meters, and is sponsored by the club of young ladies in Athens.
Moral agreement
Although the actual law does not protect the freedom of this tree, the love and respect of the Greek society and government for this tree and its symbolism continues, which can be considered a kind of moral agreement between two people, in this case it is between a person and a tree.
1942
Year you fell
In which the tree
Native because of a storm.