Wikijunior:American Founding Fathers/Samuel Adams

Who is this?

Samuel Adams.

What did he do that made him important?

After the United States declared its independence in 1776, Adams helped write the Massachusetts Constitution with John Adams and James Bowdoin. Afterward, Adams helped draft the Articles of Confederation.

What did he do when he was young?

Adams was born on Sunday, September 27, 1722. In 1736, at age fourteen, he entered Harvard College to begin studies in theology. While at Harvard, Adams gradually shifted his interest to politics and political theory. He went on to pursue graduate studies at Harvard after receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1740. Adams began to develop his political beliefs about the rights of colonists and British control over America.

What did he do afterward?

Following the end of the American Revolutionary War, he ran for the House of Representatives in the 1st United States Congressional election, but was unsuccessful. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts in 1789, and after John Hancock's death in 1793, Adams served as the acting governor until he was elected governor in January of the following year. He served in that position until June 1797 when he retired from politics. He died six years later on October 2, 1803.