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 (176574), 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 (177481), 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 (179497).