Samuel Adams And His Sons Of Liberty example essay topic

Upon his birth, Samuel Adams was able to show that he was very strong and rebellious. One of three survivors of twelve children, Samuel Adams was born on September 27, 1722. (Lewis 5) He was born into a wealthy family in Boston, Massachusetts. His father, Samuel Adams the elder, "was a prosperous brewer and merchant".

(Miller 3) He was said to distill the best rum in North America. (Lewis 3) He was also a very religious man. His religious ways earned Samuel Adams the elder the name of "the Deacon". Deacon Adams was a very wealthy, well-known citizen of Boston. Adam's mother, Mary Fi field Adams, was also very religious. She maintained strict guidelines in their Boston home where "every day at sundown [she] conducted private worship services".

(Lewis 4) Young Adams was brought up in this very religious household. At the age of seven, he began attending the Grammar School of Boston. (Lewis 5) Other than his schooling, very "little is known of Sam's childhood, and posterity has been unable to authenticate the anecdotes concerning that period of his life". (Lewis 6) He, like most of the other Adams' males, was educated at Harvard College. He studied hard and did well graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1740. A few weeks following graduation, "he saw and felt the results of Parliament's cavalier treatment of the American colonies".

(Lewis 10) Deacon Adams had, like many colonial businesses, used a form of paper money that was printed in the colonies. In 1740, Parliament passed a bill restricting the colonies from using this form of money. As a result of this, Deacon Adams lost about one third of his fortune. Both father and son were equally bitter.

(Lewis 10) Samuel Adams was still very unsure as to what he wanted to do with his life. So he soon returned to Harvard in pursue of a higher degree. In 1743 "he chose as the subject for his thesis the question, 'Whether it be lawful to resist the supreme magistrate if the commonwealth cannot otherwise be preserved. ' " (Samuel Adams).

This is yet another sign as to how rebellious Samuel Adams would become. Following his graduation, he initially wanted to pursue a career in politics. However, his father informed him that only lawyers were able to attain a high public office. Therefore, Adams began studying for the bar. He was not sure about becoming a lawyer and his mother was un supportive of the idea. Instead, she encouraged her son to become a business man.

Trying to please his parents, Adams took up a job in a countinghouse. Countinghouses were equivalent to modern day banks. However, it was not long before Adams left the countinghouse and, with his father's financial aide, went into business for himself. Samuel did not hold a high value on money, so it was not long before his business failed and he went into debt. His father paid his debt and offered his son a position at his brewery. Despite the great opportunity, Adams did not invest much work into the brewery.

He basically sat back and let the brewery run itself. He spent his days working at the brewery and his evenings engulfed in political discussion with his friends. Although Deacon Adams did not approve of his son's behavior at the brewery, he did welcome Samuel's love for politics. Samuel Adams and his political career were now on their way.

(Lewis 11-12) Throughout his first couple of years as a politician, Adams was quiet and worked on establishing himself. Then in 1747, a semi-anonymous group began to "publish a weekly newspaper to be known as the Public Advertiser". (Lewis 15) Adams and a few of his friends founded this newspaper. This group of friends, sworn to secrecy, used their new tool to attempt to "kindle a flame in the Massachusetts Bay" (Miller 18) by renewing the quarrel between popular and royal authority. Although Adams failed at his first attempt as a political writer, "his work in 1748-1749 sheds significant light upon his later career as a revolutionist".

(Miller 18) The Public Advertiser enabled Samuel Adams to make his views apparent to the Boston public. He had politically established himself to the point where the "Tories feared [him] because he never permitted the people to lose sight of the struggle for liberty". (Miller 20) Tories was the name given to the people who remained loyal to the crown. In March of 1748, the Deacon Adams passed away. According to Deacon Adams' will, Samuel was to run the brewery. After his father's death Samuel was also obligated, as the eldest son, to escort his mother to worship services.

It was at these worship services that Samuel Adams got to know his future wife on a more personal level. Elizabeth Checkley, the daughter of Reverend Samuel Checkley, was married to Samuel Adams on October 17, 1749. (Lewis 22) Throughout the next eight years, the married couple had five children, with only two surviving past infancy and reaching adulthood. (Lewis 23) The years following his father's death, Samuel ran the brewery. He felt as if his life was not going anywhere when in 1756, "he was elected collector of taxes for the town of Boston". (Miller 22) As the tax collector, he soon "became personally acquainted with everybody in Boston, and his qualities soon won for him great respect and influence".

(Samuel Adams) Then, in the summer of 1757, Samuel's wife Elizabeth contracted an incurable fever. She died on July 25, leaving a heartbroken husband and two small children. (Lewis 23) Despite his sudden change of luck, his life was going well as a tax collector. However, he did neglect some of his other obligations.

His father's once prosperous brewery was now on a steady decline. (Lewis 26) Over the next seven years, Samuel's luck began to change. Elizabeth Wells, the daughter of Francis Wells, was married to Samuel on December 6 of 1764. Elizabeth was only twenty four when she married the forty-two year old Samuel Adams. Despite the difference in age "she was a perfect companion for a man with whom she could discuss political problems and whose meager income she could utilize to the last penny". (Lewis 28-29) Also in the year 1764, Samuel Adam's great public career began.

(Samuel Adams) It was in that same year when the Sugar act was passed by parliament. The Sugar Act reduced the tax on molasses but imposed customs duties on a wide variety of other products such as silk, coffee, wine, salt, and ironware. (Lewis 34) Then on March 22, 1765, the Stamp Act was passed. This tax required all American Colonists to pay a tax on all printed papers ranging from legalized documents to playing cards. (Samuel Adams) As a repercussion of the Stamp Act, on August 14, 1765, "colonists and British troops and officers alike were greeted by two unflattering effigies: one of Andrew Oliver, a judge, and the other a figure of the Devil peeking out of a huge boot - a slur at Lord Bute of Parliament, whom the colonists blamed for the infamous Stamp Act".

(Sons of Liberty) This was the first known act of the anonymous group, the Sons of Liberty. The Sons of Liberty were originally formed to protest the Stamp Act. There were many different branches of the Sons of Liberty that began to develop throughout the colonies. These groups, among other things, acted as educators. They "circulated petitions, published anti-government tracts, tarred-and-feathered Loyalists, attacked the homes and offices of British officials, and fomented most of the confrontations". (Sons of Liberty) There is much debate over whether or not Samuel Adams was a member of the Sons of Liberty.

Many feel that he was associated with the group, but not too closely. (Miller 51) Yet others say that he was the leader of the group. The Sons of Liberty was a secret organization and Samuel Adams was their silent leader who led from the shadows in order to maintain his daily profession of a politician. Most everyone knew he was a rebellious individual, yet he still had to maintain a certain level of professionalism.

(Lewis 44) Samuel Adams's ons of Liberty were a powerful force. However, this group was not composed of the upper class. Instead this group was made up of "the dock workers, merchant seamen and other lower-class friends". (Lewis 44) It was this group of people that was responsible for setting many of the mobs into motion. The mobs that controlled Boston were thought to be spontaneous acts of violence from the lower class when actually "Boston was controlled by a 'trained mob' and Sam Adams was its keeper". (Miller 53) Many people did not agree with how Samuel Adams went about doing things.

Despite that fact, his methods in running his Sons of Liberty were effective. By the time the Stamp Act was put into effect, every stamp agent had resigned his post. Also, many of the colonial merchants cancelled their orders for British goods, which were intended to be sold in the colonies. (Sons of Liberty) The Sons of Liberty also had their roots with the Committees of Correspondence. (Kreamer) These committees were established throughout the colonies for the primary function "of formally organizing public opinion and coordinating patriotic actions against Great Britain". (Kreamer) The correspondences of the patriotic souls throughout the colonies may be one of the main reasons that the colonies were able to break free from British rule.

The Sons of Liberty and the Committees of Correspondence were able to unite the rebellious, patriotic souls and start the fight for their independence. Throughout the next couple of years different situations involving the Sons of Liberty occurred. Although some of these events were not as well known as others, they all helped in igniting the Revolutionary War. One of the more well known actions occurred on March 5, 1770.

The famous Boston Massacre occurred on this day. (Miller 178) For many days prior to the incident, many of the towns' citizens had been taunting and even injuring the British Redcoats. On March 5, the Redcoats felt they had taken enough abuse and when the crowd began to run toward their infantry line, they fired into the crowd killing four civilians. (Lewis 108) At this point in time, Samuel Adams had gained the respect of many of the citizens of the city of Boston due to his role as the leader of the Sons of Liberty. Therefore, when this mob of citizens ran towards the British troops resulting in the death of four citizens, Samuel Adams was able to talk the event up to the famous Boston Massacre. (Lewis 108) On March 6, Samuel Adams, in speaking of the incident which occurred on March 5, "made such a speech from the rostrum that his hearers declared it was 'enough to fire any heart with a desire to become a patriot.

' " (Miller 180) Samuel Adams demanded that the two regiments in Boston be removed to the castle by the harbor. Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson then tried to negotiate and please Adams by removing one of the two regiments from the city. In response to Hutchinson's actions, Adams and his mob of more than 5,000 Bostonians demanded both regiments or none. By sunset of the same day, Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson had both regiments moved to the castle. From that day on, the two regiments were "known in Parliament as the 'Sam Adams regiments.

' " (Samuel Adams) Then, in November of 1772, at a special town meeting, Adams and his Bostonians voted the first official Committee of Correspondence into existence. Other colonies soon followed Massachusetts example and also set up their own Committees of Correspondence. (Lewis 134) These committees enabled British America to unite its patriots and later set up a meeting where they could discuss where the colonies stood with Great Britain and other current issues involving Great Britain. (Samuel Adams) However, before this meeting could occur, Samuel Adams and his Sons of Liberty had to once again make themselves publicly known.

On December 16, 1773, members of the Sons of Liberty, dressed as Mohawk Indians, boarded the ships which were docked in the harbors and dumped 342 chests of "the finest tea that ever tempted New Englanders' palates, pocketbooks, and patriotism". (Miller 294) The actions of the Sons of Liberty were a direct protest towards the East India Company Agents who Adams and the Sons of Liberty had been trying to force resignation on since the beginning of November. (Lewis 173) The Sons of Liberty had managed to successfully protest the presence of these Company Agents in a non violent way where the only property destroyed was the tea. This event became publicly known as the Boston Tea Party. Despite their role in planning this event, Adams "and the other radical leaders did not venture near the waterfront that night, but returned to their homes, each of them making certain that witnesses of stature knew his precise whereabouts during the entire evening".

(Lewis 185) Regardless of his absence, the Boston Tea Party had advanced past the famous Boston Massacre and became one of Adams' greatest triumphs. (Miller 276) As a repercussion of the Boston Tea Party, Bostonians were faced with the Boston Port Bill. Under this Bill, the port of Boston was to be closed and all trade was to be suspended. (Lewis 190) In response to the Boston Port Bill, Samuel Adams executed his Solemn League and Covenant, which suspended all communications and interactions with Great Britain.

Communications with Great Britain would only continue when Boston's privileges had been restored. (Miller 301) In further attempts to subjugate Massachusetts, "the British passed several punitive acts aimed at bringing the colonies back into submission of the King". (Kindig) These acts were known to the colonies as the Intolerable Acts. They included the Quartering Act, the Quebec Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the previously mentioned Boston Port Act. (Kindig) These acts are what finally brought the Committees of Correspondence throughout the colonies to gather at Carpenter's Hall in September, 1774. (Lewis 211-212) The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia from September 5th to October 26th of 1774.

(Kindig) Despite what many believe, the congress was not made up of "wild-eyed radicals determined to foment revolution at any price". (Lewis 211) Instead, most of the members were conservative men and many were there to protect their own interest and to patch the deteriorating relationship with Great Britain. (Lewis 211) At this first meeting of congress, the different colonies had the opportunity to establish where they stood with Great Britain. At the end of October, "Sam Adams emerged from the convention as a national symbol of opposition to the Crown. Men from all thirteen colonies recognized him as the leader of the independence movement". (Lewis 216) At the close of the convention, the delegates knew they would probably be meeting again in a year if Great Britain failed to meet their grievances.

(Kindig) In 1775, Congress reconvened in Philadelphia. The opening discussions still strongly reflected on the desire to patch the colonies relationship with Great Britain. In fact, Samuel Adams found that he was one of the few who wanted to break all ties with Great Britain. (Lewis 244) Throughout the session of the Second Continental Congress, Adams remained conservative and listened to the debates for and against independence from Great Britain. However, on one of the last days of the independence debate, he voiced his opinion, suggesting that a special committee be organized to write a document which would proclaim the colonies' independence. The committee, which included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman, worked together to establish the Declaration of Independence.

(Lewis 277) On July 1, 1776, while the final vote for independence was still being debated, Dr. Benjamin Franklin was said to have "uttered his famous comment, 'If we don't hang together we " ll assuredly hang separately. ' " (Lewis 280) Then, on July 4, 1776, the decision in favor of independence was unanimous. The signers knew that if the revolutionary war was not won by the colonies, they would all hang for treason against Great Britain. However, when the war came to an end, the United States had prevailed. Following the war, Adams held different local offices in Massachusetts. He then succeeded John Hancock as the Governor of Massachusetts.

(Samuel Adams) He served as the governor from 1794-1796. (Miller 392-399) Following his years as governor, he lived the retired life. Adams was "a broken-down old man who shuffled wearily about his house on Winter Street and lived in the past when he had been the foremost Son of Liberty in New England". (Miller 399) It was during that time of his life, the days before and during the War of Independence, that Adams truly achieved immortality. (Lewis 388) In October of 1803, Adams passed away. His funeral cortege journeyed past the location where the old Liberty Tree once stood and past Chase and Speakman's distillery, where Adams and his Sons of Liberty once gave birth to their plan for American Independence.

(Miller 400) Adams could now rest in peace in his United States of America. Throughout his life Samuel Adams had many accomplishments. Adams had failed as a business man, brewer, banker, and lawyer because he needed time to find his niche in life. Upon finding his niche as a rebellious patriot, Adams achieved great success.

Known to many as the Father of American Independence, Adams left this world a better place. (Lewis 391) Samuel Adams: The Father of Independence American History I Mr. Charles Green April 3, 2003 Andrew David

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