(1722–1803) was an American Revolutionary leader. He was a second cousin of John Adams, second President of the United States. A skilled politician and propagandist, Sam Adams (as he was popularly called), more than any other man, prepared the way for the American Revolution. During the Revolutionary period, he stirred the colonists against Great Britain through writings, speeches, and personal contact. To his opponents, Adams was the “Chief Incendiary,” exploiting colonial differences with Britain to advance his own radical ideas. To his supporters, he was the “Firebrand of Independence,” dedicated to the cause of American liberty.

Early Career. Sam Adams was born in Boston. He graduated from Harvard in 1740 and received a master's degree in 1743. He studied law for a while, then entered business. He was unsuccessful in a number of ventures, and in 1756 became tax collector of Boston. Adams left this post in 1764, after falling behind in collections. He then turned his attention to politics, devoting his energies to the struggle with Great Britain over colonial rights.

Revolutionary Period. By 1764 Sam Adams was already a leading figure in Boston politics, having opposed for some years the small group of aristocratic families that virtually ruled Massachusetts. He took a prominent part in the agitation against the Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act of 1765, protesting “taxation without representation.” In 1765 he helped form the Sons of Liberty, a secret revolutionary society. Serving in the Massachusetts legislature, 1765–74, Adams became leader of the radicals and was clerk of the House, 1766–74. Adams stirred up opposition to the Townshend Acts (1767), and was an organizer of the Non-Importation Association in 1768.

During a period of relative calm, 1770–72, Sam Adams kept discontent alive by writing inflammatory newspaper articles. In 1772 he organized the first Committee of Correspondence. He drafted the Boston Declaration of Rights in 1772 and was influential in the agitation that led to the Boston Tea Party. After passage of the Intolerable Acts, 1774, Adams was one of the first to call for a congress of the colonies. He was chosen as a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses, 1774–75. He signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

After Independence. As Adams was more a revolutionary agitator than statesman, his influence declined after American independence was declared. He was a member of the Continental Congress until 1781, serving on the committee that drafted the Articles of Confederation. Although at first opposed to a strong central government, Adams voted for ratification of the Federal Constitution at the Massachusetts Convention of 1788. He was lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, 1789–93, and governor, 1794–97.

See also Boston Tea Party; Committees of Correspondence; Sons of Liberty.