A biography of one of the most influential patriots during the Revolutionary War.

“A brief, sharply focused biography [that] restores Adams to his rightful place as an indispensable provocateur of American liberty” (Kirkus Reviews). Samuel Adams is perhaps the most unheralded and overshadowed of the founding fathers, yet without him there would have been no American Revolution. A genius at devising civil protests and political maneuvers that became a trademark of American politics, Adams astutely forced Britain into coercive military measures that ultimately led to the irreversible split in the empire. Through his remarkable political career, Adams addressed all the major issues concerning America’s decision to become a nation—from the notion of taxation without representation to the Declaration of Independence. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams all acknowledged that they built our nation on Samuel Adams’ foundations. Now, in this riveting biography, his story is finally told and his crucial place in American history is fully recognized. Winner of the 2007 Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award

Adams, Alexander argues, was an unwavering politician who strove to protect the people's basic rights and who emphasized the importance of virtue, liberty, a sense of duty, and education in fashioning a republican society. Alexander's fresh reading of Adams' record and a close look into his personal life uncover a masterful politician and a man consistent in his beliefs."--BOOK JACKET.

From preface: Samuel Adams occupied a unique place among the founders of the American republic. He lived through all of the events that lead to establishing a constitutional federal republic, and served as governor of one of the more important states in the young nation. Yet unlike Washington, Jefferson, and Madison, he was not an aristocratic landowner by family, nor a soldier or lawyer by profession. Nor did he stem from a line of well-to-do merchants like the leaders from New York or Rhode Island. William Fowler's lively book describes the long and eventful life of key figures [with special attention focused on Samuel Adams] in the development of the early republic. In doing so it also clarifies a significant aspect of American life.

Presents the life and accomplishments of the colonist and patriot who was involved in virtually every major event that resulted in the birth of the United States.

The story of one of the most important -- and most elusive -- figures of the American Revolution, Samuel Adams traces the life of the "Man of the Revolution," as he was called by Thomas Jefferson, from his childhood as a fifth-generation New Englander to his pivotal role in the Boston Tea Party and war that followed to a life spent in public service. Benjamin Irvin explores the fascinating contradictions of Samuel Adams's life: he was born into a family of high rank, but lived a humble, almost impoverished life; he could barely manage his personal household, but brilliantly managed the Massachusetts House of Representatives; he pushed for the Revolution, but resisted the Constitution; he spearheaded resistance to the English government but staunchly opposed resistance to the U.S. government. A perceptive look at the life of a complex man, Samuel Adams is an evocative portrait of one of our nation's most interesting Founding Fathers.

Profiles the life of Samuel Adams and explores his role in the tax rebellion and the Boston Tea Party.