Biography of Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams was born on 16th September, 1722. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, which was a British colony at the time of his birth. The Adams family was proud of the Puritan faith that they followed and attended the Old South Congregation Church. The Puritan influence is easily noticed on Samuel Adams' career and life. Samuel Adams Sr. (father of Samuel Adams and also commonly known as Deacon Adams) was a very prominent member and leader of the political organization named Boston Caucus.

Early Life and Education

Samuel Adams attended the Boston Latin School. His parents always wanted him to join the ministry after completing his education. In 1740, after finishing his schooling, Samuel Adams joined Harvard College. During his college years, Adams developed a liking towards politics. In the thesis that he wrote during his postgraduate education, he comments, "Lawful to resist the Supreme Magistrate, if the Commonwealth cannot otherwise be preserved". It can be noticed that both, Samuel Adams Sr. and Samuel Adams Jr., were advocates of colonial rights.

In the year 1714, Samuel Adams Sr. was caught, involved in a banking controversy. It is said that this event affected the young Samuel Adams Jr.

Adams completed his post graduation and, at first, thought of making a career as a lawyer. However, later he decided to start his own business enterprise and tried to become a merchant. What followed is one of the most humorous incident in the life of this great political leader. Adams took up a job at the Thomas Cushing's counting house. Adams, however, did not last long at the job and was discharged of his duties in just a few months. Cushing later said that Adams could never become a good merchant due to his mind's preoccupation with politics. For the purpose of starting up a business, Adams borrowed about a thousand pounds from his father. Half of the amount, he lent to a friend, who never returned it and the other half, he spent. After Adams became insolvent, his father made him a partner, in the family business of the production of malt, where he learned the science of brewing and producing malt.

Historians, writers and poets have made fun of Samuel Adams' inability to handle large sums of money unsuccessfully. A poet once named him as "Sam the Maltster". Famed historian, Pauline Maier once said that Adams was a man, "utterly uninterested in neither making nor possessing money".

Career as a Politician

Samuel Adams' career in politics started in 1748, when a group of young men including Adams, enraged by the impositions of the British launched a weekly newspaper by the name, 'Independent Advertiser'. The newspaper contained several significant political writings by Adams. In all his writings, Adams encouraged the people of the colonies of New England to make use of the constitutional rights and not tolerate any kind of suppression, upon the usage of these rights.

In the year 1748, Adams lost his father, which had a profound effect on his life,especially, on his ideology and constitution.

The American Revolution

The British parliament started taxing the American colonies to recover the immense losses of the Seven Years War. The policy of heavy taxation was not at all welcomed by the citizens of the colonies because there were no members representing the colonies in the British Parliament. The taxation law and policy that was imposed by the Britishers in the colonies was the Sugar act, 1764. The Sugar act was followed by the Stamp act in 1765, that taxed the activity of printing of any kind. The citizens of the colonies respondent violently to the unjust taxation. The writings of Adams were blamed for the riots. Though, Adams had no active role in the riots that resulted due to the Stamp act, he strongly approved the notion that the citizens should rebel against unconstitutional and unjust acts of the British Parliament. However, he did not approve of the mobbish behavior that was displayed as a reaction. In the month of May, the same year, through some of his writings, Adams claimed that the Parliament could not tax the colonies as they were not represented by in the Parliament. Further more, he also said that the local governing bodies were the only ones who could rightfully collect taxes.

These views were publicly discussed when the Boston Town Meeting selected its representatives, who were to represent Boston at the Massachusetts house. These views eventually gave rise to the famous notion, "No taxation without representation". Adams was the writer of the instructions that were handed over to the selected representatives. He again wrote another set of instructions for the representatives in September, the same year. Later on 27th September, he was asked to replace one of the representatives.

In the year 1767, as a reaction to the passing of Townshend act, Adams organized a boycott movement and called for the help of the other towns, to do the same. The situation went out of hand when the Parliament tried to dissolve the assemblies of the American Colonies. Adams responded by writing a petition to the king saying, that the Governor of the colonies should be removed from his office. Four regiments of the British army were posted in Boston, Adams wrote many letters and articles, that publicly criticized the occupation by the British army.

One of the biggest event that triggered off the American Revolution was the Boston Tea Party, in which Adams played a very active role. Adams uttered a statement that started the legendary the tea party, "This meeting can do nothing further to save the country". It was never revealed whether Adams actually participated in the event or not, but he publicized, justified and also defended it. In May 1774, Adams and four others were chosen to attend the 1st Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

He also participated in the second Congress and was one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.

His role as a politician ,however, did not end here. He served as a member of many military committees. He was also elected as a member of the Board of War. He also served as moderator in the Boston Town Meetings. He was the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts till 1793, and the Governor till 1797, after which he retired.

Samuel Adams died at the age of 81, on 2nd October, 1803. He was one of the greatest shapers of the history of the United States of America.

The epitaph of his grave says,
"Signer of Declaration of Independence,
a leader of Men and an Ardent Patriot"