ADAMS, SAMUEL


Meaning of ADAMS, SAMUEL in English

born Sept. 27, 1722, Boston, Mass.

died Oct. 2, 1803, Boston, Mass., U.S.

American Revolutionary leader.

A cousin of John Adams , he graduated from Harvard College in 1740 and briefly practiced law. He became a strong opponent of British taxation measures and organized resistance to the Stamp Act . He was a member of the state legislature (1765–74), and in 1772 he helped found the Committees of Correspondence . He influenced reaction to the Tea Act of 1773, organized the Boston Tea Party , and led opposition to the Intolerable Acts . A delegate to the Continental Congress (1774–81), he continued to call for separation from Britain and signed the Declaration of Independence . He helped draft the Massachusetts constitution in 1780 and served as the state's governor (1794–97).

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.