Samuel_Adams_info

=**Background of Samuel Adams**=

At a young age, Samuel Adams worked at Thomas Cushing's counting house, but the job only lasted a few months since Cushing thought Adams was too interested in politics to be a good merchant. He wasn't interested or successful in business by himself and ended up working at the family malthouse (not large amounts of alcohol...myth that he brewed beer). He began his political career as a clerk in Boston in 1747.

Samuel Adams was one of the first colonists to speak out against British rule from the start of animosity. He spoke out against the Sugar Act (1764) stating that it was taxation without representation and the Stamp Act (1765) for the same reason and also thought it would be bad for economics. Therefore, Adams supported a boycott to convince Parliament to repeal the act. He was part of the Stamp Act Congress, which stated the resistance to the tax. Furthermore, he was part of the Loyal Nine, the precursor to the Sons of Liberty. He continued to speak out when Parliament passed the Townshend Duties (repealed the Stamp Act, but passed other taxes). British soldiers were sent to Boston. The Boston Massacre in 1770 led to Adams and others forming the Committees of Correspondence in 1772 to communicate throughout the colonies on British actions. He took a lead role in the Boston Tea Party of 1773, which was a protest of the new Tea Act, another protest of taxation without representation. Adams was poor in terms of money. People gave him money to buy a new suit to wear to the First Continental Congress. His neighbors helped him fix his house one time too. George Whitefield (one of the most famous ministers during the 1700s) preached about unity in faith. At the First Continental Congress in 1774, Adams made a motion to open with prayer (there were numerous denominations at the Congress). In addition, he promoted colonial unity at the First Continental Congress. Adams was at the Second Continental Congress in 1775 and took a lead role in the push for declaring independence. In the first two years of the Revolution, the Continental Army suffered numerous defeats. In the meantime, the Continental Congress began to discuss whether or not it was worth continuing the war (those who favored Revolution were putting their lives on the line...there was a bounty out on Samuel Adams). At this point, Samuel Adams professed his faith. He said (in York, PA in September 1777) that "the eyes of the people are upon us." He knew that if Congress showed fear, the people would be fearful. He also said "we have proclaimed to the world our determination to die free men, rather than live as slaves." He said to rely on God. Shortly after, the Continental Army under Horatio Gates, won the turning point Battle of Saratoga. Toward the end the war, Adams helped work on the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780 (the Articles of Confederation had set up a nation in which the colonies became independent nations). When the newly written Constitution was up for ratification, Adams at first was against it due to the lack of a bill of rights, but would support it when it was agreed that a bill of rights would be put on the Constitution. Samuel Adams would end his political career as the governor of Massachusetts. He died at age 81 and a Boston newspaper the Independent Chronicle eulogized him as the "Father of the American Revolution."

Religion was important to Samuel Adams. He felt that worshipping God was a duty, which was evident in [|Massachusetts Constitution of 1780], which he helped to write.

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