The Adams Boys: Both Important in America's Cause for Freedom

FYI: This past week in American History I have studied about John and Sam Adams, two men vital in America's cause for freedom and independence in the 1770s. Here's an essay I wrote about them. ~Photobug

Before and during the American Revolution, there were two men who were vital to the cause. Their names were Samuel and John Adams.

Sam Adams grew up rich. Living in Boston, he was part of a very wealthy family. When the appropriate time came, his father sent him to Harvard for college. While in college, the elder Adams decided to open a bank. There were backers, enough money, and people who would benefit from this institution. But there was a problem: Parliament across the Atlantic had to approve the action. Unfortunately, Parliament said no. With this action, Sam Adams’ father lost a lot of money, and Sam had to go work serving tables. Sam actually enjoyed this job, as he got to talk with lots of people and learn their view on politics and what was happening. However, Sam was extremely angry at English control. He thought that governmental decisions should be made in America.

Unfortunately Sam had no talent whatsoever for business. Just about the only thing he was good at was politics. He talked politics all the time. He listened to people all the time. He got involved in politics. He was one of the “Indians” that raided Boston tea ships in the much-remembered Boston Tea Party.  Adams kept developing his talent for politics. While good at nothing else, he was extremely talented in the business of agitating. He could make a group of people mad in no time! He even started up the leader of the “Sons of Liberty”, who agitated the British. Adams was also involved the creation of the Declaration of Independence.  Finally Sam Adams became governor of Massachusetts. While he disappeared from public eye after the Revolution, Sam Adams’ actions helped unify the colonists against the British in the preparation for the Revolution.

John Adams was very important as well in the American Revolution. The younger cousin of Samuel Adams, John also studied at Harvard. Becoming a lawyer, John Adams got so wrapped up in being a lawyer that he defended the British in the case on the Boston Massacre! Later, Adams was elected to Congress and was even on the committee to write the Declaration of Independence.

During the war, Adams served as a diplomat and secured funds and sympathies for America from the Dutch. Back stateside, Adams wrote the Massachusetts Constitution in 1779.

John Adams always seemed to be in someone’s shadow. Most of the time he had been in his cousin Sam’s shadow. But in 1789, he was called to serve in the shadow of someone else, this time the shadow of George Washington as Adams served as first vice president of the newly formed United States of America. Finally in 1797 John Adams stepped out of the shadow and into the spotlight as he served as the second president of the United States. 

So, who was more important? Sam or John? Personally I don’t think one was more important than the other. Sam Adams was a great politician and had an uncanny ability of manipulating the crowds, especially into agitation. John Adams served in a variety of important governmental positions, including the office of President and diplomat. One of the Adams boys is not more important than the other; each was essential to the Revolution and the birth of America.