History of Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams was born on September 27, 1722 in Braintree, Massachusetts which is now known as Quincy, Massachusetts. His parents were Samuel Adams and Mary Fifield. He was descent from a family who immigrated to America with the first settlers of the land. In 1736 Samuel Adams became a member of Harvard University where he got his masters degree in 1743. After leaving Harvard, Adams began to study law which was exactly what his father wanted. His mother on the other hand did not want him to be a lawyer, so he became a clerk in the counting house of Thomas Cushing.

Since his childhood, Samuel Adams was intrigued with politics. In 1763, when the British ministry announced that they had plans on taxing the American colonies, Adams instructed a committee that was formed by the people of Boston to speak out against the taxation of the colonies (Raphael). This soon brought him into favor with the patriotic party and he soon became a leader at their popular assemblies. Then, in 1765 he was elected a representative to the general court of Massachusetts, from the town of Boston (Robson). His dedication to the rights of his country soon led him to the office of clerk to that body. In the legislature he was appointed upon almost every committee, participated in drawing almost every report, and spoke out in almost every meeting. He published several essays and was the author of several plans opposing the British governments aims for the country. He also has the honor of having suggested the first congress at New York, which prepared the way for a Continental Congress (Ward). On December 16, 1773, the Boston Tea Party took place in which Adams was one of the main planners. He also started the protest against the Stamp Act of 1765 and had it stopped.

Knowing Adams was poor, the English ministry tried to bribe him with the gift of office, but nothing could lure him away from the liberties of the people (TAR). Then in 1773, Governor Gage attempted to bribe Adams by offering him any benefit that he demanded as long as he would refrain from opposing the royal government (TAR). But, due to the decisive and spirited conduct of Adams, he refused. The governor then threatened to send Adams to England for trial, on a charge of treason. Even though Adams once again refused, he gained the respect and confidence of Governor Gage.

In 1774, he was chosen to be a member of the provincial council during the crisis in Boston (SDI). Then, on September 5, 1774, the Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia and Adams was a member and remained a member until 1781. During his years as a member of the Continental Congress, Adams exhibited more passion and diligence than any of the others (Robson). He showed this by being one of the advocates and signers of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. After the constitution went into effect he was placed in the senate of state for several years and in 1781, Adams retired from congress. Then in 1789 he was elected lieutenant governor and held that office until 1794 when he was chosen governor due to Hancock's death. From 1794 he was annually re-elected governor until 1797. He then retired from public life and on October 2, 1803, at the age of 82, he died in his hometown of Boston.

I chose Samuel Adams because of his dedication to the rights of the people and to the independence of America. No matter what anybody said or did to him, after all the bribes and threats, he still kept the same beliefs and expressed his opinions to all others. He worked hard for what he believed in, no matter what the consequences would be, he never gave up. And due to all his hard work, he rose up to being a powerful, popular, and very important man. This is why America is the way it is today, free and independent. To even wonder what this country would be like today if it were not for Samuel Adams is impossible. If it were not for Samuel Adams, the Continental Congress would not have been formed. The Continental Congress was responsible for many major turning points in history, such as the successful protests of the many acts of British parliament, the Continental Army would not have been formed, the Declaration of Independence would not have been issued, and the Articles of Confederation would not have been made. His actions played a major role in the start of the American Revolution. All of these contribute to American independence.

Samuel Adams used his political knowledge to persuade many of the people of his day to join him on the fight for independence. If it were not for that, many would have followed the rule of the British government for much longer or even till this day. He played a major role in history and influenced many people of his day. Many famous historical figures such as Paul Revere, John Adams, and John Hancock may be more well-known and famous than Samuel Adams, but these men's thoughts and ideas were actually shaped by the influences of Samuel Adams. He contributed more to American independence and put forth much more effort than many of the other historical figures known today as being more important than him. His views on politics and life are the reason that many people of his day became historical figures. Even after his death, his influence carried on to many others who also helped shape our country into what it is today.

Raphael, Ray. A People's History of The American Revolution. New York: The New Press, 2001.

Robson, Eric. The American Revolution. New York: Da Capo Press, 1972.

"Samuel Adams." The American Revolution. 19 Nov. 2008 .

"Samuel Adams." Signers of the Declaration of Independence. 15 Oct. 2008 .

Ward, Harry M. The War For Independence And The Transformation Of American Society. London: UCL Press, 1999.