Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams was a distinguished patriot of the American Revolution. In fact, he is known as the Father of the Revolution. He was born on September 22, 1722, in Boston, Massachusetts. As a descendant of pilgrims, he was taught the principles of freedom from the time he was a baby. His father, a man of considerable wealth and also influence as a member of the Massachusetts Assembly, wanted Samuel to have a liberal education. After taking a preparatory course, Samuel entered Harvard College in Cambridge and received his degree in 1740 at age 18. Samuel was a quiet fellow and was very interested in gaining knowledge.

Samuel’s father wanted him to become a lawyer, but Samuel became an apprentice to Thomas Cushing, a distinguished merchant of Boston who became an active patriot. Even though his father provided financial support enough to have a business of his own, Samuel soon realized that he was more interested in politics than the mercantile profession. He soon became bankrupt because of his inability to keep his mind on his business.

When Samuel was 25, his father passed away. As the oldest son, the responsibilities and cares of the family and estate fell upon Samuel. Even though he had additional responsibilities, he could not keep his mind off the movements of the British government. He spent a great deal of time talking and writing about the oppressions of Great Britain and was in favor of resistance on the part of the colonies. When Great Britain passed the Stamp Act, Samuel took a firm stand against it and other bills to tax the colonies.

He started in 1763 boldly expressing his thoughts about the rights and privileges of the Americans. He wrote a paper offering guidance to the Boston members of the General Assembly stating that Parliament had no right to tax the colonies without their consent. He also suggested that the unification of the colonies for their protection against Britain. Samuel apparently was the first to express publicly such sentiments, which became the “spark that kindled the flame upon the altar of Freedom here” (Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, 35).

Samuel became a brilliant statesman but continued to be a poor businessman. Samuel was elected in 1765 to represent Boston in the General Assembly where he became distinguished for his intelligence and activity. He became the leader of the opposition to the royal governor and distained the governor’s moves to quiet him. He was one of the most active citizens in demanding that the British troops leave Boston in the aftermath of the Boston Massacre.

Samuel Adams of Massachusetts and Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed almost simultaneously that the colonies set up a system of Committees of Correspondence. This system helped to unify the colonies and also put a price on Samuel’s head. When Governor Gage offered to pardon everyone who would be loyal to the King, he particularly excluded Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Adams and Hancock gained in popularity because the people were angry at Gage.

Adams worked in secret to convince the colonies to appoint delegates to a general Congress and became one of the five delegates from Massachusetts. He took his seat in that Congress on September 5, 1774, and remained an active member of that body until 1781. He gladly signed the Declaration of Independence.

Adams retired from Congress but not from public life. He was a member of the committee that drafted a constitution for Massachusetts. He held several public offices successively – member of the Massachusetts senate, senate president, Lieutenant-Governor, and Governor. He was elected as governor each year until his age forced him to retire from public life.

Samuel married Elizabeth Checkley in October 1749. Five children were born to the couple but only two reached maturity. Mrs. Adams died July 25, 1757. Samuel married Elizabeth Wells about 1764. He died on October 3, 1803, at age 82.

Josiah Bartlett

To begin my study of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, I chose to start with Josiah Bartlett for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that Bartlett was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776. He had this honor because he represented New Hampshire, the first state to sign because it was the furthest northern state. The second reason I chose Bartlett is because he is an ancestor of one of my sons-in-law.

Josiah Bartlett was born in November 1729 in Amesbury in Massachusetts. His ancestors were originally from Normandy but immigrated to England. A branch of the family immigrated to America late in the seventeenth century and settled in the town of Beverley in Massachusetts. His mother’s maiden name was Webster, and she was a relative of Daniel Webster.

Josiah did not have the advantage of a college education, but he was taught Greek and Latin by Dr. Webster. Josiah chose a profession in medicine and started studying science at age sixteen. Even though he did not have many opportunities to learn from books or teachers, he was able to pass an examination with honor. He started his practice of medicine in Kingston, New Hampshire, where he became a skillful and successful doctor.

Bartlett was stern and unbending in his republican principles, but he was highly esteemed by the royal Governor Wentworth. Wentworth bestowed on Bartlett a magistrate’s commission and the command of a regiment of militia. He was elected in 1765to be a member of the provincial legislature in New Hampshire. About that same time, he became a prominent leader of a party that opposed the Stamp Act and various other oppressive laws made in England. He was bribed through Wentworth, but he remained patriotic.

Josiah became a member of the Committee of Safety for his state in 1776. Governor Wentworth was so alarmed at the appointment of this committee that he dissolved the Assembly. The rebellious members re-assembled with Dr. Bartlett at the head of the movement. When he was elected a member of the Continental Congress, Wentworth withdrew both the commission of magistrate and the military commission. When Wentworth realized that there would be no reconciliation, he fled from the province for his own safety. The provincial Congress – forerunner to state legislature – re-appointed Dr. Bartlett to be a colonel in the militia.

Bartlett was chosen as a delegate to the Continental Congress in August 1775 and again in 1776. He was part of the committee that planned for the confederation of the states as suggested by Benjamin Franklin. He strongly supported the proposed independence.

Bartlett took a leave from Congress in 1778 to visit his family and to take care of his private affairs and did not return. He was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas of New Hampshire in 1779 as well as the muster master of its troops. He was later promoted to the Supreme Court.

Josiah took an active role in his state’s convention to ratify the Constitution in 1787. After the Constitution was adopted, he was elected to represent New Hampshire as a member of the first Senate, which was to be held in New York. He declined the honor and was not seated there. He had previously been elected President of New Hampshire and continued to hold that office until 1793. At that time he was elected to be the first governor of New Hampshire. After being governor for one year, he resigned the office to retire to private life after serving his state and nation well for many years.

Bartlett passed away on May 19, 1795, at the age of 66. He did not live long enough to spend much time with his family, to see his country entirely free from the perils that threatened its existence, nor to see that the new experiment in government worked.

As A Mom

Another organization that you might find helpful is called As A Mom (asamom.ning.com). They bill themselves as "A Sisterhood of Mommy Patriots" but accept into membership people who are not moms or even female. As A Mom is teaming with Homemakers for America to do a project called The Abigail Adams Project. The object of this project is "to help create a web source of information on who the candidates are and where they stand on the key issues from the President of the United States all the way down to the school board in every city, county and state in the nation." I don't yet have much information on As A Mom, but I obtained as much information as I could get without actually joining. This group is apparently quite new and maybe not as organized as Homemakers for America. As A Mom supports the 9 12 Project (http://www.the912project.com/) and believe in the nine principles of this project, which are: 1. America is good. 2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life. 3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday. 4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government. 5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it. 6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results. 7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable. 8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion. 9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me. This group has forum set up on the following topics: education, health care, parent rights, children's future, current events and issues, and how to get involved. I like the fact that they have suggested an action that can be taken each day. Daily: Contact your congressmen daily regarding the health care bill. Ask specific questions that concern you and your situation. Mommy Mondays: Use this day to educate yourself and your family about the Constitution, our Founding Fathers, and other pertinent information. Take Action Tuesdays: Focus on Congress by contacting your Senators and Representatives to voice your concerns and ask questions. White House Wednesday: Call/fax/e-mail the White House with your concerns and questions. Be polite. Keep it short and sweet to get your point across. Ask simple direct questions. Thankful Thursdays: Find a way to make someone smile: send a thank you note, help a neighbor anonymously, make something that can be donated, visit a senior care center, adopt a soldier, etc. Freedom Fridays: Focus on setting yourself and your family free by budgeting, getting out of debt, storing food, etc. These suggestions are very simple. The results would be very powerful, but the actual actions would take very little time or be something that you are probably already doing. If you don't like a particular suggestion, you could always substitute your own for that day. What is really important is to know that there are many people who are concerned about our country and the direction that it is moving. We are not alone!