Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams (1722–1803) was an American political leader and writer who helped shape resistance to British rule in colonial Massachusetts. Born in Boston, he graduated from Harvard College and became active in local politics. Adams was a leading organizer of opposition to the Stamp Act and other imperial measures, and he helped found the Sons of Liberty. He served as a Massachusetts delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses and signed the Declaration of Independence. Though not chiefly a literary author, he wrote influential essays, letters, and pamphlets defending colonial rights. He later served as lieutenant governor and governor of Massachusetts.