According to Student Research Gold, Samuel Adams was “a born revolutionary, a puritan whose principles would not allow him to countenance injustice, or a master protagonist. He was called the Chief of Incendiary to enemies and the Father of the American Revolution to many others.” Samuel Adams lived a successful life and has helped our country maybe more than any other citizen has, which is why I think that he is the greatest American.
Samuel Adams was born on the 27th of September in 1722 and lived on Purchase Street in Bay Colony, Massachusetts (a Puritan colony). His birth parents were Samuel Adams Sr. and Mary (Fifield) Adams. Samuel Adams Sr. was a successful brewer and also a deacon at the Old South Church and the New South Church. His father was involved in politics and held the positions of Boston selectman and representative to the assembly. Samuel’s mother however, was quite different. Mary Adams was a stern, deeply religious woman who learned by the preaching’s of Jonathan Edwards. Mary and Samuel Adams Sr. had 12 children, including Samuel, but only 3 of the 12 children survived infancy. As a child, Samuel Adams and his other siblings were isolated from most of the other kids and instead were focused on their chores and familial responsibilities.
Samuel Adams soon began school and attended Boston Grammar School for 8 years. There, Samuel Adams studied Greek, Latin, math and grammar, and also found time to read classic books. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at Harvard University in 1736. At Harvard, Samuel Adams took many of the same classes as he did before college, but he also enrolled in additional classes such as logic, physics and philosophy. With hard work and motivating drive, he became the 5th ranked student in his class of 22.
After four long years of constant educational work, he graduated from Harvard. But he wasn’t done yet! Samuel Adams went back to earn his Master’s degree at Harvard. In 1743, he had earned his Master’s degree and was beginning to plan his career choice. The first things that Samuel Adams had ruled out were brewery and church work, even though they had been the career paths his parents had chosen. After lots of thinking and trying to figure out what to be, he decided to try a financial career. Luckily, this path would not stick, for if it had, we might still be controlled by the British Parliament. As it turned out, Samuel Adams was a terrible businessman and he soon went bankrupt. His wealthy father paid of his debts and then set him on a different line of business - brewery.
Once in the brewery business, Samuel Adams’ career began to take off. His father taught him all that he knew about brewery and made his son the new manager of his company. Luckily, the brewery was going so well that it needed very little management leaving Adams time for his real obsession, politics. So in 1748 Samuel Adams published a newspaper called the Independence Advertiser. This newspaper consisted of politics and nothing else. Soon after Samuel Adams started this newspaper, his father suddenly passed away leaving Samuel Adams and his brothers in charge of the brewery.
In 1749, Samuel Adams married his first wife Elizabeth Checkley. He and his wife Elizabeth would go on to have five kids, with only two surviving infancy. Sadly, Elizabeth passed away in 1757 due to a severe fever. Soon after, Samuel Adams decided that he want to do more with politics so he joined the Caucus Club. This Club was able to run all of the town meetings without any approval. By 1758 Samuel Adams became so indebted that a sheriff gave him a warning. The sheriff then threatened to auction off his property if he didn’t pay his taxes. The Biography Resource Center says that “Adams threatened to sue anyone who tried to take his property.” This comment led to arguments between the sheriff and Samuel Adams, which led to him being removed from his job.
In 1764 Samuel Adams remarried. His new wife was named Elizabeth Wells. In 1765 Samuel Adams was elected to fill an empty seat in colonial legislation. For the next nine years, he became a leading figure in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He made many contributions such as opposing the Townshend Acts, which ultimately made him famous. Samuel Adams also came up with many ideas that helped the colonies stick together, like the Continental Congress.
After many conflicts between the Americans and the British, the colonists became fed up, and the assembly of the First and Second Continental congresses was formed. Samuel Adams was lucky enough to be elected to the Congress and spent many years in Philadelphia (were the meetings were held) making large contributions. Samuel Adams did a great job representing the colony of Massachusetts. “Adams signed the Declaration of independence, espousing immediate political separation from Britain, and recommending the formation of state governments.”
In 1781 Samuel Adams returned to Massachusetts and became the lieutenant governor from 1789 to 1793. On October 2, 1803 Samuel Adams passed away. He was given a state funeral, where members of the Massachusetts legislature came to grieve over his death. U.S. House of Representatives and even the Senate wore mourning bands in his memory for the rest of the year.
So, was Samuel Adams really “the father of the American Revolution”? I personally think that he was. Samuel Adams has made more contributions to this country than you could ever imagine. That’s why I think that Samuel Adams is the greatest American.
Samuel Adams was born on the 27th of September in 1722 and lived on Purchase Street in Bay Colony, Massachusetts (a Puritan colony). His birth parents were Samuel Adams Sr. and Mary (Fifield) Adams. Samuel Adams Sr. was a successful brewer and also a deacon at the Old South Church and the New South Church. His father was involved in politics and held the positions of Boston selectman and representative to the assembly. Samuel’s mother however, was quite different. Mary Adams was a stern, deeply religious woman who learned by the preaching’s of Jonathan Edwards. Mary and Samuel Adams Sr. had 12 children, including Samuel, but only 3 of the 12 children survived infancy. As a child, Samuel Adams and his other siblings were isolated from most of the other kids and instead were focused on their chores and familial responsibilities.
Samuel Adams soon began school and attended Boston Grammar School for 8 years. There, Samuel Adams studied Greek, Latin, math and grammar, and also found time to read classic books. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at Harvard University in 1736. At Harvard, Samuel Adams took many of the same classes as he did before college, but he also enrolled in additional classes such as logic, physics and philosophy. With hard work and motivating drive, he became the 5th ranked student in his class of 22.
After four long years of constant educational work, he graduated from Harvard. But he wasn’t done yet! Samuel Adams went back to earn his Master’s degree at Harvard. In 1743, he had earned his Master’s degree and was beginning to plan his career choice. The first things that Samuel Adams had ruled out were brewery and church work, even though they had been the career paths his parents had chosen. After lots of thinking and trying to figure out what to be, he decided to try a financial career. Luckily, this path would not stick, for if it had, we might still be controlled by the British Parliament. As it turned out, Samuel Adams was a terrible businessman and he soon went bankrupt. His wealthy father paid of his debts and then set him on a different line of business - brewery.
Once in the brewery business, Samuel Adams’ career began to take off. His father taught him all that he knew about brewery and made his son the new manager of his company. Luckily, the brewery was going so well that it needed very little management leaving Adams time for his real obsession, politics. So in 1748 Samuel Adams published a newspaper called the Independence Advertiser. This newspaper consisted of politics and nothing else. Soon after Samuel Adams started this newspaper, his father suddenly passed away leaving Samuel Adams and his brothers in charge of the brewery.
In 1749, Samuel Adams married his first wife Elizabeth Checkley. He and his wife Elizabeth would go on to have five kids, with only two surviving infancy. Sadly, Elizabeth passed away in 1757 due to a severe fever. Soon after, Samuel Adams decided that he want to do more with politics so he joined the Caucus Club. This Club was able to run all of the town meetings without any approval. By 1758 Samuel Adams became so indebted that a sheriff gave him a warning. The sheriff then threatened to auction off his property if he didn’t pay his taxes. The Biography Resource Center says that “Adams threatened to sue anyone who tried to take his property.” This comment led to arguments between the sheriff and Samuel Adams, which led to him being removed from his job.
In 1764 Samuel Adams remarried. His new wife was named Elizabeth Wells. In 1765 Samuel Adams was elected to fill an empty seat in colonial legislation. For the next nine years, he became a leading figure in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He made many contributions such as opposing the Townshend Acts, which ultimately made him famous. Samuel Adams also came up with many ideas that helped the colonies stick together, like the Continental Congress.
After many conflicts between the Americans and the British, the colonists became fed up, and the assembly of the First and Second Continental congresses was formed. Samuel Adams was lucky enough to be elected to the Congress and spent many years in Philadelphia (were the meetings were held) making large contributions. Samuel Adams did a great job representing the colony of Massachusetts. “Adams signed the Declaration of independence, espousing immediate political separation from Britain, and recommending the formation of state governments.”
In 1781 Samuel Adams returned to Massachusetts and became the lieutenant governor from 1789 to 1793. On October 2, 1803 Samuel Adams passed away. He was given a state funeral, where members of the Massachusetts legislature came to grieve over his death. U.S. House of Representatives and even the Senate wore mourning bands in his memory for the rest of the year.
So, was Samuel Adams really “the father of the American Revolution”? I personally think that he was. Samuel Adams has made more contributions to this country than you could ever imagine. That’s why I think that Samuel Adams is the greatest American.
cool!! nice work on the detail.
ReplyDeleteninja boy out:)