Samuel Adams: Father of the American Revolution

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When you read about most revolutionary war figures - Washington, Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson or Madison - their stories more or less start with the American Revolution. Even Ben Franklin, a member of an earlier generation, did not jump on the Independence wagon very early or very easily. Samuel Adams, however, was the most important figure in the early Independence movement and quite rightfully deserves the title Father of the American Revolution.Mark Puls brief (less than 250 pages of text) biography shows how important Adams was. From an early age, Adams started thinking of independence from England. In 1764, he unsuccessfully opposed the Sugar Act, but laid the foundation for his battle against the 1765 Stamp Act. Showing both good organizational ability and political savvy, he was able to successfully organize a boycott that forced Parliament to repeal the measure. Although it would take a decade to take root, this was really the first blow for independence; it began harder and harder for the British to deal with colonial unrest.Eventually, after acts like the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party, the rift widened and reconciliation, though attempted, was clearly impossible. During the Revolutionary War, Adams played key roles behind the scenes. Although not an author of the Declaration of Independence, his ideas permeated the document; he also helped construct the Articles of Confederation. After the war, however, other figures moved into the spotlight, a role he was fine with giving up.In ways Samuel Adams was an idealist, willing to sacrifice his health and financial well-being to accomplish his objectives. He was also, however, a pragmatist, able to work behind the scenes to meet his goals. Reading his biography, however, is also a lesson on how we determine who are our "heroes." In certain ways, Adams is little different from John Calhoun, who also felt he was opposing an oppressive government. Adams, however, is generally looked on favorably, while Calhoun - a major proponent of slavery and one who helped start the secession movement - has, at best, a mixed reputation.Puls biography is a positive one that never really discusses his subject's flaws, but doesn't descend into the cloying sweetness of hagiography. Well-written, this book is readable and informative, providing insight into one of the lesser-known figures of the era. For those who enjoy learning about this period, or who seem to only know Samuel Adams from the beer that bears his name, this book will be a good read.

First of all, a real shout outto this book's author, Mark Puls. He is a fine writer and has a most entertaining style. His research and organization are very relevant to the topic and he appears to be thorough in his organization.I think more Americans don't recognize Sam Adams for his contribution to the victory for liberty that the United Colonies participated in during the run-up to the revolution. All the publicity to our Founding Fathers concentrate primarily on Washington, John Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, etc. Well that's just wrong. Sam Adams sold malt in Boston during the early part of the 1700's. It was his father's business and Sam managed to run the business into bankruptcy at a very young age. Sam Adams worked hard to become an orator and mover and shaker of men. And he had his work cut out for him because Boston gentry were loyalist to England and socially and economically tied to England. And they were very dependent upon England to provide for their defenses against Indian threats. I think Ole Sam simply lacked the charisma and a polished publicist that could keep his name in front of the headlines and a true patriot that orchestrated and kept alive the American destiny to win their independence. And he published many articles during the run-up to the Revolution but simply used a pen name to protect his real identity.You can give Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Franklin and all the statesmen who came later, but patriots such as Dickinson, Payne, Rush, Warren, Otis and especially Sam Adams were the ones in the trenches that kept the fires lite until the rest of the nation to be caught up with the movement and bravely stumbled their way towards the ultimate victory.In my opinion, Sam Adams was the single most important patriot of the American Revolution movement. Without his early efforts, the revolution as we know today would have never taken place. We celebrate Washington with a national holiday. Without Sam Adams, there never would have been a national holiday for any Founding Father. So we need to get our facts straight and tell the story exactly as it occurred.

In this biography of one of the most neglected of the Founding Fathers, Mark Puls seeks to remind Americans of the role that Samuel Adams played in bringing an independent United States of America into existence. And he does so brilliantly.As Puls demonstrates, Adams had come to the conclusion that the liberties of the colonists in his native Massachusetts and elsewhere in British America would never truly be safe until those colonies had broken free from British rule. He reached that conclusion in 1765, a full decade before the idea would even seem to become thinkable, and 16 years before it would become a reality with the defeat of General Cornwallis at Yorktown.Slowly but surely, Adams embarked on a two-pronged strategy of confronting the British and communicating his ideas to his fellow colonists and uniting them in the ongoing struggle for Colonial liberty. On the first ground, Adams achieved remarkable success in organizing the effort to resist British rules and twice forced Parliament and the Crown to withdraw tariffs meant to extract money from the Colonies to help repay Britain's war debt. On the second, he initiated contact, and eventually Committees of Correspondence, between Massachusetts and all of the colonies. Adams lived to see his dream come true, not only with independence itself, but with the formation of a truly remarkable system of government.Puls does an excellent job of bringing the work, ideas, and influence of this forgotten Father of the American Revolution back into the light of day where they belong. If you want to truly understand how the American Revolution came about, you need to know about Samuel Adams. And, Puls's biography is an excellent resource.

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