| Samuel Adams | |
|---|---|
| Portrait of Samuel Adams | |
| Born | September 27, 1722; Boston, Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America |
| Died | October 2, 1803 (aged 81); Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Political affiliation | Patriot; later Democratic-Republican-leaning |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Checkley (m. 1749–1757); Elizabeth Wells (m. 1764–1803) |
| Children | Samuel Adams Jr.; Hannah Adams |
| Occupation(s) | Political organizer, writer, statesman |
| Major offices | Delegate, Continental Congress (1774–1781) — signer of the Declaration of Independence (1776) Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (1789–1793) Governor of Massachusetts (1794–1797) |
| Known for | Sons of Liberty; Committees of correspondence; Boston Tea Party; republican civic virtue |
Samuel Adams (September 27, 1722 – October 2, 1803) was an American revolutionary leader, political organizer, and statesman. A chief strategist of resistance in Boston, he helped spark colonial cooperation, pushed for independence, signed the Declaration of Independence, and later served as Governor of Massachusetts.
Early Life and Education
Born in Boston to a family involved in commerce and malting, Adams studied at Harvard College (A.B. 1740; A.M. 1743). After early ventures and public service as a tax collector, he increasingly devoted himself to political writing and organizing.
Organizing Resistance
Adams emerged as a leading critic of Parliamentary taxation after the Seven Years’ War. Through persuasive essays and town-meeting leadership, he promoted local committees to coordinate action. In 1772 he helped establish Boston’s Committee of Correspondence, which became a model for intercolonial communication. Adams was closely associated with the Sons of Liberty and with mass protests that culminated in the Boston Tea Party (1773).
Toward Independence
Elected to the Continental Congress in 1774, Adams pressed for decisive measures against British coercion. He backed moves toward independence, worked on wartime committees, and signed the Declaration in 1776. During the war he continued as an influential pamphleteer and legislative strategist.
State Builder
Returning to Massachusetts politics, Adams supported the 1780 state constitution associated with John Adams and later served in the state senate. Initially skeptical of the new federal Constitution, he endorsed ratification once a federal Bill of Rights was promised, helping to secure Massachusetts’s pivotal approval in 1788.
Governor of Massachusetts
After serving as lieutenant governor under John Hancock, Adams became Governor (1794–1797). His administration emphasized frugality, public order, and republican virtue. Failing health led him to retire from public office.
Legacy
Samuel Adams is remembered as a master of grassroots politics who fused moral argument with practical organization. His committees, correspondence networks, and insistence on civic vigilance helped turn local protests into a continental movement for independence.