Samuel Adams

By Karen Bush Gibson

As America s first politician, Samuel Adams dedicated his life to improving the lives of the colonists. At a young age, he began talking and listening to people to find out what issues mattered the most. Adams proposed new ideas, first in his own newspaper, then in other newspapers throughout the colonies. When Britain began taxing the colonies, Adams encouraged boycotting and peaceful protests. He was an organizer of the Boston Tea Party, one of the main events leading up to the American Revolution. The British seemed intent on imprisoning Adams to keep him from speaking out, but he refused to stop. He was one of the first people to publicly declare that the colonies should be independent, and he worked tirelessly to see that they gained that independence. According to Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams was the Father of the Revolution.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mitchell Lane
• Release date: Jul 14, 2025
• ISBN: 9781545750032

Karen Bush Gibson

Karen Bush Gibson has written dozens of children's books on many different subjects. She writes about people, places, and history because she loves research. Gibson is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Book preview

Titles in the Series

The Life and Times of

Alexander Hamilton

Benjamin Franklin

Betsy Ross

Eli Whitney

George Rogers Clark

Hernando Cortés

John Adams

John Cabot

John Hancock

John Peter Zenger

Nathan Hale

Patrick Henry

Paul Revere

Samuel Adams

Sir Walter Raleigh

Susan B. Anthony

Thomas Jefferson

William Penn

Copyright © 2007 by Mitchell Lane Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Printing    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gibson, Karen Bush.

The life and times of Samuel Adams/Karen Bush Gibson.

      p. cm. — (Profiles in American history)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 1-58415-440-3 (library bound: alk. paper)

1. Adams, Samuel, 1722–1803—Juvenile literature. 2. Politicians—United States—Biography—Juvenile literature. 3. United States. Declaration of Independence—Signers—Biography—Juvenile literature. 4. United States—History—Revolution, 1775–1783—Biography—Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series.

E302.6 A2G53 2006

973.3092—dc22

2005036704

ISBN-10: 1-58415-440-3

ISBN-13: 978-1-58415-440-2

eISBN-13: 978-1-54575-003-2

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Karen Bush Gibson considers Samuel Adams a true hero. His selfless actions put others and his country’s needs before his own. Writing extensively for the juvenile educational market, Karen’s work has included biographies, current events, and cultural histories. More than thirty books for children include The Life and Times of Catherine the Great, The Fury of Hurricane Andrew, The Life and Times of Eli Whitney, and Peter Zenger for Mitchell Lane Publishers.

PHOTO CREDITS: Cover, pp. 1, 3: Library of Congress; p. 6: Getty Images; pp. 9, 12, 15: Library of Congress; p. 17: North Wind Picture Archives; p. 20: Corbis; pp. 23, 25: Library of Congress; pp. 28, 31: Corbis; p. 34: Library of Congress; p. 37: Corbis; p. 39: Getty Images; p. 40 Library of Congress

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This story is based on the author’s extensive research, which she believes to be accurate. Documentation of such research is contained on page 46.

The internet sites referenced herein were active as of the publication date. Due to the fleeting nature of some web sites, we cannot guarantee they will all be active when you are reading this book.

PLB

Contents

Chapter One

A Tea Party

*FYInfo: Boston

Chapter Two

Politics

FYInfo: Harvard

Chapter Three

Liberty, Property, and No Stamps!

FYInfo: John Hancock

Chapter Four

The Continental Congress

FYInfo: Paul Revere’s Ride

Chapter Five

Father of the Revolution

FYI: John Adams

Chapter Notes

Chronology

Timeline in History

Further Reading

For Young Adults

Works Consulted

On the Internet

Glossary

Index

*For Your Information

A leading patriot from Boston, Samuel Adams was one of the earliest opponents to British taxation of the colonies. He organized many protests against the British, including the Boston Tea Party. Adams advocated that the colonies be independent from Britain.

CHAPTER 1

A Tea Party

The colonists were angry. How dare the British demand a tax on their tea? The Tea Act, passed by the British Parliament in May 1773—without any input from the colonists—was just another attempt to show the people of America that they were indeed a British colony and subject to British rules and regulations.

The Tea Act was proposed by Lord North in Britain as a