Samuel Adams

The Life of an American Revolutionary

By (author) John K. Alexander

Publication date:

21 January 2013

Length of book:

432 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780742570344

Samuel Adams: The Life of an American Revolutionary vividly tells the story of a titan of America's greatest generation. Friend and foe alike considered Adams one of the greatest members of the generation that achieved American independence and crafted constitutions that made the ideal of republican government a living reality in the new nation. Adams's role as a major political author and organizer are explored as is his central role in momentous events including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. The work demonstrates why Thomas Jefferson described Adams as the helmsman of the American Revolution. Adams's career during the war and his involvement in crafting and defending republican constitutions are assessed as are his views on virtue, religion, education, women, and slavery. Following Adams through the 1790s, one sees that he wanted the revolutionary generation to bequeath a land of liberty and equality to the nation's posterity. The personal side of this revolutionary who was renowned for his lack of concern for material things is not neglected. The symbiotic relationship of Samuel and his wife Elizabeth is analyzed. The work demonstrates that Adams's life provides a veritable guide to responsible citizenship and public service in a republic.

Preface
Chapter 1: The Failure of Promise
Chapter 2: The People Shall Be Heard
Chapter 3: The Lurking Serpent
Chapter 4: The Politics of Principle
Chapter 5: The Great Incendiary Confronts the Quiet Period
Chapter 6: Britain Miscalculates and the Great Incendiary Strikes
Chapter 7: The Helmsman of American Independence
Chapter 8: "Zealous in the Great Cause": Winning Independence
Chapter 9: "The Principles of Liberty": The Massachusetts Scene
Chapter 10: "An Idolator of Republicanism" and the Nation's Constitution
Chapter 11: "The Consistent Republican" in the Turbulent 1790s
Epilogue
Bibliography

Even for supposedly objective historians, it has often been difficult to remain neutral about Sam Adams. He was an inspiring orator or a demagogue inflaming the mob. He was a brilliant organizer or an unprincipled manipulator. Alexander gratifyingly avoids the pitfalls of easy categorization. Still, in a generally admiring biography, he convincingly asserts two consistent aspects of Adams' career. First, he was a political animal, who felt most alive when organizing, negotiating, and when necessary, compromising to achieve his goals. Second, he was a true revolutionary, who viewed the arena of politics as a means for transforming American society in accordance with republican principles. His hopes extended beyond simple independence from Britain. Within those parameters, Alexander examines Adams' activities during and after the revolution as he dealt with a variety of issues, including slavery, the rights of women, and foreign affairs. Alexander also makes clear that Adams was no austere, cold Robespierre but a man with a vibrant personal life. A well-done re-examination of the life of an American icon.