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5-1-1977
An analysis of the influence of Samuel Adams on
the Boston Massacre
Virginia Pegues-Sailsbury
University of Nebraska at Omaha
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AN ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE
OF SAMUEL ADAMS ON THE
BOSTON MASSACRE
A T h e sis
P r e s e n te d t o th e
D epartm ent o f Communication
and th e
F a c u l t y o f th e G raduate C o lleg e
U n iv e rsity o f N ebraska;
In P a r tia l F u lfillm e n t
o f th e R equirem ents f o r th e D egree
M aster o f A r ts
U n i v e r s i t y o f N ebraska a t Omaha
by
V i r g i n i a P e g u e s - S a ils b u r y
UMI Number: EP73101
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THESIS ACCEPTANCE
A ccepted f o r t h e f a c u l t y o f The G raduate C o lleg e o f th e
U n i v e r s i t y o f Nebraska a t Omaha, i n p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t o f th e
r e q u ire m e n ts f o r th e d eg ree M aster o f A r t s ,
G raduate Committee______ _____ ________________________________________
Name
D epartm ent
Chairman
/a , /? 7 7
Date
TABLE OF CONTENTS
C h a p te r
I.
II.
Page
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . .
. . .................................................. . .
1
SAMUEL ADAMS: A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .....................................................
III.
THE.POLITICAL IDEOLOGY OF SAMUEL ADAMS . .
IV .
A DESCRIPTION OF
V.
THE CASE OF SAMUEL ADAMS:
...............................
THE BOSTON MASSACRE . . . . . . . . . . .
6
18
32
GUILTY OR INNOCENT?
P art I .
A H is to r ic a l P e rsp e c tiv e . . . . . . . .
P art I I .
A Communicative P e r s p e c t i v e ..........
BIBLIOGRAPHY.............................................................................
61
1*7
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Samuel Adams, l a b e l e d th e " f a t h e r o f th e American R e v o lu tio n " by
1
W illia m W e lls, may have been n e g le c te d i n th e h i s t o r y books o f America*
"There i s no doubt t h a t -without him th e p r e r e v o l u t i o n a r y p r o t e s t s o f
2
M a ss a c h u se tts would have b een muted c o n s i d e r a b l y . ’1 Yet even t o t h i s
day Samuel Adams i s n o t g iv en an im p o rta n t p l a c e i n h i s t o r y .
I t is
i n t e r e s t i n g t h a t i n 1777, b e f o r e th e B a t t l e o f Bunker H i l l , G en eral Gage,
commander o f th e B r i t i s h t r o o p s , was a u th o r iz e d by t h e k in g t o pard on a l l
3
p a t r i o t s who would serv e th e k i n g , e x c e p t Samuel Adams arid John Hancock.
B io g ra p h e rs o f Adams have a l l , in d e p e n d e n tly o f each o t h e r a r r i v e d
a t s i m i l a r c o n c l u s io n s ; Adams a lm o st s i n g l e h andedly p l a n n e d ,
and d i r e c t e d
most o f th e e v e n ts l e a d i n g t o t h e f i r s t s h o t at. L e x in g to n , and u l t i m a t e l y
t o th e s ig n i n g o f t h e D e c l a r a t i o n o f In d ep en d en ce.
These c o n c lu s io n s a r e uph eld by P au l Lewis i n h i s b io g r a p h y ,
The Grand I n c e n d i a r y .
I n th e s p e c i f i c a r e a o f th e Boston M assacre-he
p ro p o sed t h a t Adams s e t t h e s ta g e f o r th e B oston Massacre#
1
!------------------------
W illiam W e lls , The L i f e -and P u b l i c S e r v ic e s o f Samuel Adams,
(Boston: L i t t l e , Brown, and Company, 1 $ 6 £ ), v o l . T, p . 1 1 .
2
H arry Hansen, The Boston M a ss a c re , (New York: H a s tin g s House P u b .,
1 9 7 0 ), p . 23.
3
W illiam T udor, The L i f e o f James O t i s , (B oston: W ells and L i l l y ,
1 9 2 3 ), p . 261*.
The s i t u a t i o n |_the t r o o p s in Boston] was made t o o r d e r
f o r Sam Adams, and he chose h i s s e t t i n g w i t h c a r e , s e l e c t i n g
th e N orth End o f B o s to n , where a b a t t a l i o n h e a d q u a r t e r s o f
t h e T w e n ty -n in th Regim ent had been e s t a b l i s h e d n e a r a
c l u s t e r o f sm all ropemaking f a c t o r i e s . The ro pem akers, o f
c o u r s e , were a r d e n t Sons o f L i b e r t y and Sam Adams*s
f o llo w e rs *
The M assacre, so l a b e l e d b y Sam Adams, occured on March ? , 1770,
c o n c lu d in g a l e n g t h y encampment o f B r i t i s h s o l d i e r s i n th e c i t y l i m i t s
o f B o s to n .
A lthough s e v e r a l a c c o u n ts have been g iv e n o f th e M assacre,
n o t a l l th e f a c t s a b o u t i t a r e known.
" f i r e , " f o r exam ple, i s n o t known.
The q u e s t i o n o f who f i r s t y e l l e d
The C a p ta in i n ch arg e was n o t
a ccu sed o f g iv in g a command t o " f i r e . "
P o s s i b l y , w ith th e f i r e alarm s
sounding and t h e c o n f u s io n among th e p e o p l e , someone s a i d " f i r e " i n
r e f e r e n c e t o a b u r n in g f i r e .
N e v e r t h e l e s s , d e s c r i p t i v e n a r r a t i v e s ta k e n
from s e v e r a l a c c o u n ts and combined o f f e r * a s much as i s p o s s i b l e , th e
c o m p le te , a c c u r a t e f a c t s o f March 5 .
The a s s e r t i o n by Lewis c o n c e rn in g
Adams? in v o lv e m e n t, has c r e a t e d i n t e r e s t a b o u t t h e t r u e r o l e o f t h i s
p a t r i o t i n th e B oston M assacre.
I n d e v e lo p in g t h i s s tu d y , t h e fo llo w in g q u e s t i o n s se rv e d as
g u i d e l i n e s f o r r e s e a r c h t o answ er t h e i n i t i a l q u e s tio n s
Did Samuel Adams
p l a n a n d / o r cau se th e B o ston M assacre?
1.
Did Adams encourage t h e c i t i z e n s t o arm th em selv es a g a i n s t th e
tr o o p s ?
2*
D id Adams p r e s e n t th e t r o o p s as a t r u e t h r e a t t o th e c i t i z e n s
o f Boston?
n
P a u l L ew is, The Grand I n c e n d i a r y , (New York: The D i a l P r e s s ,
1 9 7 3 ), p . 10 7.
8
3.
Did he show t h a t a l l l e g a l means had . f a i l e d , th u s making
v i o l e n c e n e c e s sa ry ?
Did Adams, d i r e c t l y o r i n d i r e c t l y , c o n t r o l th e grou p s p r e s e n t
a t t h e M assacre?
5.
Was Adams p e r s o n a l l y convinced t h a t t h e tr o o p s would f i r e upon
th e c i t i z e n s ?
I f th e s e q u e s ti o n s c o u ld be answered th ro u g h t h e a v a i l a b l e
e v i d e n c e , th e c o n c lu s io n s would have t o be based on th e f o llo w in g p rim a ry
sou rces:
th e w r i t i n g s o f Samuel Adams, th e a u to b io g ra p h y and n e r s o n a l
p a p e r s o f John Adams, and th e contem pory h i s t o r y o f M a s s a c h u s e tts by
Thomas H u tc h in so n .
The most u s e f u l s e c o n d a ry s o u rc e s were b i o g r a p h i e s
on th e fo llo w in g i n d i v i d u a l s :
Sam Adams, John Adams, James O t i s , and
J o se p h W arren.
I n c o n d u c tin g a s tu d y such as t h i s , t h e r e are s e v e r a l t h i n g s which
must be ta k e n i n t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n .
F i r s t , when a n a ly z in g th e " g u i l t o r
inno cen ce" o f a i n d i v i d u a l , t h a t i n d i v i d u a l needs t o be a s c l e a r l y
u n d e rs to o d as p o s s i b l e .
With Samuel Adams, i t would be s i g n i f i c a n t t o
i d e n t i f y a l l s a l i e n t c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s which m igh t have a f f e c t e d h is
a c tio n s.
The f i r s t two c h a p t e r s o f t h i s s tu d y in c lu d e d r e s e a r c h on th e
b io g ra p h y and p o l i t i c a l i d e o l o g y o f Adams.
H o p e fu lly th e in f o r m a tio n
p r e s e n te d h e lp e d t o e s t a b l i s h more i n t i m a t e a s p e c t s o f Adams—th e man.
The second a r e a , which was v i t a l t o t h i s s tu d y , was a d e s c r i p t i o n
o f th e e v e n ts l e a d i n g t o t h e M assacre.
D uring th e developm ent o f e v e n ts
i n c h a p t e r f o u r , r e f e r e n c e s t o Adams were ex clud ed so t h a t an o b j e c t i v e
( a s p o s s i b l e ) view could be o b t a i n e d .
C h ap ter f i v e i s an a n a l y s i s o f
Adams’ r o l e i n t h e M assacre, t,ying th e f i r s t f o u r c h a p t e r s t o g e t h e r i n
a com plete o v e rv ie w .
Each c h a p t e r o f t h i s s tu d y was d e re lo p e d u s in g p rim a ry and
se c o n d a ry s o u r c e s .
While t h e s e s o u rc e s a r e th o ro u g h , t h e y can n o t be
c o m p reh en siv e; t h a t i s , a l l th e f a c t s and evid en ce c a n n o t be known.
The
p r o c e d u re s employed i n t h i s r e s e a r c h , t h e r e f o r e , in v o lv e d c o l l e c t i n g
d a t a , a n a ly z in g d a t a , and i n t e r p r e t a t i n g d a t a t o a r r i v e a t an i n f e r r e d
c o n c l u s io n .
An example o f t h i s p ro c e d u re can be s e e n i n th e answ ering
o f q u e s t i o n f o u r —d id Adams d i r e c t l y o r i n d i r e c t l y c o n t r o l th e groups
p r e s e n t a t t h e M assacre?
Adams1 name app eared on no membership l i s t s and he was r a r e l y
seen i n p u b l i c w ith any p o l i t i c a l g r o u p s .
t h a t he was t h e l e a d e r o f th e s e groups?
t o be i d e n t i f i e d .
How t h e n , co u ld i t be proved
F i r s t , th e g rou ps in v o lv e d had
Second, l i n k s betw een Adams and t h e s e 'groups ©r group
members had t o be e s t a b l i s h e d .
Once t h e s e l i n k s were e s t a b l i s h e d ,
Adams1 i n f l u e n c e upon them needed t o be a s s e s s e d .
I n o r d e r t o do t h i s ,
i t was n e c e s s a r y t o make c e r t a i n assu m p tio n s and p ro ceed w ith an ni f - t h e n tt
a n a ly s is .
I f Adams was l i n k e d t o t h e s e g ro u p s , which t h e r e s e a r c h
s u p p o r te d , and i f one a c c e p t s th e i n f l u e n t i a l c h a r a c t e r o f Adams p o r tr a y e d
b y b i o g r a p h e r s , then p o s s i b l y he i n f l u e n c e d th e a c t i o n s o f th e groups
p re se n t.
An " i f - t h e n " r e l a t i o n s h i p was e s t a b l i s h e d in t h i s s p e c i f i c
example a s i n o t h e r s .
The p e r s p e c t i v e o f th e r e s e a r c h e r p la y e d an im p o r ta n t r o l e i n th e
a n a l y s i s o f th e i n i t i a l q u e s t i o n .
F o r example c h a p t e r t h r e e d e a l t w ith
th e p o l i t i c a l i d e o lo g y o f Sam Adams.
The r e s e a r c h e r approached t h i s
i n v e s t i g a t i o n b e l i e v i n g Adams t o be g u i l t y .
r e s e a r c h e r s e t o u t t o pro v e Adams' in n o c e n c e .
Because o f t h i s , t h e
The w r i t i n g s o f Adams and
s e c o n d a ry s o u rc e s on him p r o v id e d th e main s o u r c e s , w i th l i t t l e em phasis
g iv e n t o o t h e r s o u r c e s .
The c o n c lu s io n s were t h a t Adams seemed an
u n l i k e l y " m u rd e r e r ."
However, th e u l t i m a t e ju d g in g found Adams g u i l t y o f c a u s in g th e
M assacre, which seems t o be a c o n t r a d i c t i o n .
Remember, how ever, t h a t
p e r s p e c t i v e was a v i t a l c o n cep t when th e a n a l y s i s was made.
C h a p te r
t h r e e r e p r e s e n t e d a s i n g u l a r a n a l y s i s , c e n te r e d around Adams, w ith l i t t l e
acknowledgement t o o u t s i d e e v e n t s .
C h ap ter f i v e i s , how ever, a much
b r o a d e r , more th o ro u g h lo o k a t Adams and h i s a s s o c i a t i o n s w ith v a r i o u s
r e v o lu tio n a ry e lem en ts•
The b r o a d e r p e r s p e c t i v e o f f e r e d a more a c c u r a t e and com p lete
p ic tu re .
A c l o s e r lo o k a t b o th c h a p te r s would r e v e a l l i t t l e c o n t r a ­
d ic to ry in fo rm a tio n .
C h a p te r t h r e e c o n c lu d e s t h a t i t i s U n l i k e l y t h a t
Adams a c t u a l l y p la n n e d t h e M assacre—h i s c h a r a c t e r made i t u n r e a l i s t i c .
C h a p te r f i v e su g g e ste d t h a t th e p e o p le p r e s e n t a t th e e v e n t to o k c o n t r o l
and p e r p e t u a t e d th e b lo o d sh e d w ith o u t having an e n co u rag in g l e a d e r
p re se n t.
When r e a d in g h i s t o r i c a l r e s e a r c h , i t i s im p o rta n t t o remember t h a t
i t , i s v i r t u a l l y im p o s s ib le t o know a l l th e f a c t s , e v id e n c e , and f e e l i n g s
o f t h e p e o p le a t t h e t i m e .
I t i s n o t t h e p u rp o se o f t h i s s tu d y t o f i n d
a d e f i n i t i v e answ er, b u t t o a n a ly z e and weigh t h e a v a i l a b l e e v id en ce t o
a s c e r t a i n t h e p r o b a b i l i t i e s s u rro u n d in g t h e e v e n t known as t h e B oston
M a ss a c re •
CHAPTER I I
SAMUEL ADAMSi
A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
You seem t o w ish me t o w r i t e som ething t o d im in is h th e
fame o f Sam Adams, t o show t h a t he was n o t a man o f
p ro fo u n d l e a r n i n g , a g r e a t la w y e r, a man o f v a s t r e a d i n g ,
a com prehensive s ta te s m a n . I n a l l t h i s I s h a l l n o t
g r a t i f y you.
Sam Adams, t o my c e r t a i n knowledge, from 17^8 t o 177
t h a t i s f o r s e v e n te e n y e a r s , made i t h i s c o n s t a n t r u l e t o
watch th e r i s e o f e v e ry b r i l l i a n t g e n iu s , t o seek h i s
a c q u a in t a n c e , t o c o u r t h i s f r i e n d s h i p , t o c u l t i v a t e h i s
n a t u r a l f e e l i n g s i n fa v o r o f h i s n a t i v e c o u n t r y , t o warn
him a g a i n s t t h e h o s t i l e d e s ig n s o f G r e a t B r i t a i n , and t o
f i x h i s a f f e c t i o n s and r e f l e c t i o n s on t h e s id e o f h i s
n a t i v e c o u n tr y . . .
I f Samuel Adams was n o t a
Demosthenes i n o r a t o r y , n o r had h a l f th e l e a r n i n g o f a
M an sfield i n law , o r t h e u n i v e r s a l h i s t o r y o f a B u rk e, he
had t h e a r t o f commanding th e l e a r n i n g , t h e o r a t o r y , t h e
t a l e n t s , th e diamonds o f th e f i r s t w a te r t h a t h i s c o u n tr y
a f f o r d e d , w it h o u t anybody knowing o r s u s p e c t i n g he had b u t
h i m s e l f and v e r y few f r i e n d s .* 1Because few p e o p le knew Samuel Adams as d id h i s c o u s in John Adams, t h i s
d e s c r i p t i o n o f th e o l d e r man b y h i s younger c o m p a tr io t must r e p r e s e n t
one o f th e most a c c u r a t e p o r t r a i t s o f th e man l a b e l e d " t h e B a th e r o f th e
R e v o lu tio n .”
2
Born Septem ber 1 6 , 1722,
t o a w e a lth y , a r i s t o c r a t i c f a m il y ,
Samuel Adams' f a t e t o l e a d th e c o l o n i e s t o independence was p e r p e t u a t e d
1
H arry H ansen, The B oston M assacre, (New York! H a s tin g s House
P u b ., 1 9 7 0 ), p . 2 k •
2
T h is i s th e d a t e c i t e d b y ^ e l l s and M i l l e r .
Septem ber 22, and Ralph Harlow gave Septem ber 27.
O th er s o u rc e s gave
3
by h i s f a t h e r Deacon Adams,
who e s t a b l i s h e d t h e p o l i t i c a l m o r a l i t y
which gu ided h i s own l i f e and h i s s o n 's f o r two g e n e r a t i o n s .
A b rew ery
b u s in e s s ru n by th e e l d e r Adams h e lp e d to f i n a n c i a l l y m a i n t a i n a h ig h
s o c i a l s ta n d in g f o r t h e f a m il y .
F ollo w in g t h e custom o f w e a l t h i e r c l a s s e s , young Adams s p e n t
e i g h t y e a r s a t t h e Boston L a t i n s c h o o l l e a r n i n g L a t i n and Greek b e f o r e
h
e n t e r i n g Harvard a t th e age o f f o u r t e e n .
W ith o n ly m inim al r e c o r d s
h a v in g b een k e p t a t t h i s ti m e , i t i s d i f f i c u l t t o a s c e r t a i n what to o k
p l a c e d u rin g t h e s e y e a r s .
W illiam W e l ls , Adams' g r e a t - g r a n d s o n -
b i o g r a p h e r , r e p o r t s t h a t young Adams needed d i s c i p l i n e once f o r
5
o v e r s l e e p in g and m iss in g morning p r a y e r s .
John C. M i l l e r n o t e s ,
how ever, t h a t "During h i s s e n i o r y e a r , Sam Adams was cauglht d r in k in g rum;
a n d , w h ile he escap ed w i t h a f i v e s h i l l i n g f i n e , s e v e r a l o f h i s l e s s
6
f o r t u n a t e companions were b o t h r u s t i c a t e d and d e g r a d e d ."
Upon g r a d u a t io n fro m c o l l e g e , Adams t r i e d work f i r s t a s a c l e r k
and second w ith h i s f a t h e r a t th e brewery*
p le a s e d Sam Adams a s much a s p o l i t i c s .
N e ith e r of th e se p ro fe s sio n s
The f o rm a tio n o f a p o l i t i c a l
5
;
Deacon Adams i n f l u e n c e i s d i s c u s s e d i n more d e t a i l i n c h a p t e r
th re e .
k
F u r t h e r d i s c u s s i o n o f Adams' c h ild h o o d i s g iv e n i n c h a p t e r t h r e e
5
W illiam W e lls , The L i f e and P u b lic S e r v ic e s o f Samuel Adams,
(B oston: L i t t l e , Brown, and Company, 1 8 6 5 ) , v o l . 1 , p .
6
John C. M i l l e r , P i o n e e r i n P ro p a g a n d a , (B osto n: L i t t l e , Brown,
and Company, 1 9 3 6 ), p . £.
c lu b w ith f r i e n d s and t h e p u b l i c a t i o n o f a n ew sp ap er, th e In d e p e n d e n t
7
A d v e r t i s e r , o ccu p ied h i s tim e and i n s p i r e d him t o p o l i t i c a l a p p o in t ­
ment*
Not u n t i l 175>6, h ow ever, d i d Adams win an e l e c t e d p o s i t i o n .
F o r n e a r l y a decade a f t e r h i s e l e c t i o n as t a x c o l l e c t o r ,
Adams seemed d e s ti n e d t o rem ain an o b scu re B osto n p o l i t i c i a n
t o th e end o f h i s d a y s . He f a i l e d t o r i s e h i g h e r i n p o l i t i c s
a t t h i s tim e , n o t b e c a u s e h i s a b i l i t y was i n f e r i o r , b u t
b e c a u s e th e p e r i o d was one o f a lm o st c o n tin u o u s w ar.
The S u gar Act o f 176U p ro v id e d Adams w ith th e p o l i t i c a l e x p lo s iv e
to fu rth e r h is c a re e r.
H is p en and h i s l e a d e r s h i p i n r a d i c a l groups
such as th e Sons of L i b e r t y and th e L o y al Nine p r o p e l l e d him o n to th e
c e n t e r s ta g e where he would rem ain f o r th e r e s t o f h i s l i f e .
The c r y
o f ^ t a x a t i o n w i t h o u t r e p r e s e n t a t i o n ” became th e p h r a s e most a s s o c i a t e d
w i t h Adams and h i s ’’cause f o r l i b e r t y . ”
P e r s i s t e n t h e c k li n g o f B r i t i s h
a u t h o r i t y b y th e M a s s a c h u s e tts L e g i s l a t u r e prov ed t o no a v a i l , however,
and th e S ugar Act rem ained i n e f f e c t .
A y e a r l a t e r b r o u g h t t h e Stamp A c t.
Sam Adams rode i n t o power on th e wave o f p o l i t i c a l
and econom ical u n r e s t ]~t^e Stamp Act} t h a t swept o v e r
M a s s a c h u s e tts i n 1765# The tim e s were b a d , B o s to n ia n s
r e a s o n e d , and t h e r e was need o f a man l i k e Sam Adams who
had b een famous f o r h i s g r e a t z e a l f o r l i b e r t y . 9
I n t h i s same y e a r , Samuel Adams, b y town m eeting v o t e , to o k a p o s i t i o n
i n th e M a s s a c h u s e tts L e g i s l a t u r e .
W ith in a n o t h e r y e a r he became t h e
c l e r k f o r th e h o u s e , a r e s p o n s i b i l i t y which e n t a i l e d t h e a u t h o r s h i p o f
7
■
D is c u s s e d i n c h a p t e r t h r e e •
8
M i l l e r , P io n e e r i n P rop ag and a, p . 22,
9
I b i d . , p . 5>8.
9
co rre s p o n d e n c e s s e n t from th e assem b ly t o any p e r s o n o r g ro u p .
o t h e r w o rd s, Adams became th e m outhpiece f o r M a s s a c h u s e t ts .
In
He r e t a i n e d
t h i s d i s t i n c t i v e p o s i t i o n u n t i l 177U, and h i s e l e c t i o n t o t h e F i r s t
C o n t i n e n t a l C o n g re s s.
Adams' f r i e n d s h i p w ith James O t i s , John Adams, John Hancock,
J o s e p h Warren and c o u n t l e s s o t h e r s gave him t h e f o u n d a tio n f o r s tr o n g
and s u c c e s s f u l l e a d e r s h i p .
No b io g ra p h y o f any o f t h e s e p a t r i o t s would
b e com plete w i t h o u t r e f e r e n c e s t o Samuel Adams.
W illiam T udor, i n h i s
b io g r a p h y o f James O t i s , e x p l a i n s th e d i f f i c u l t y o f o b t a i n i n g c l e a r
i n s i g h t s i n t o t h i s p a t r i o t ' s f e e l i n g s a b o u t th e t i m e s .
"His [ o t i s
p a p e r s have a l l p e r i s h e d , none o f h i s sp eeches were re c o rd e d • •
T u d or, th e o n ly a u t h o r t o i n c l u d e r e f e r e n c e s t o Samuel Adams which were
n o t i n f l u e n c e d b y W illiam W e lls , i n d i c a t e s th e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f Adams i n
O t i s ' l i f e w ith a n in e page n a r r a t i v e in which he a s s e r t s t h a t Adams
"• • . i n
f a c t , was b o rn f o r t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y e p o c h , he was t r a i n e d
11
and n u r tu r e d i n i t
T his d e s c r i p t i o n o f Adams c l e a r l y
t e s t i f i e s to t h e i n f l u e n c e o f Deacon Adams' e a r l y r e v o l u t i o n a r y f e e l i n g s
on h i s son*
The r e l a t i o n s h i p betw een O t i s and Adams d a te s p r i m a r i l y b e f o r e
1770.
As th e re c o g n iz e d l e a d e r o f th e p a t r i o t movement p r i o r t o t h i s
d a t e , O ti s dom inated Sam Adams i n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l m a t t e r s and l e g a l a r e a s .
When Adams to o k o f f i c e i n 1765, he
• . was r e c o g n iz e d as James O t i s ' s
10
W illia m Tudor, The L i f e o f James O t i s , (B osto n: W e lls and L i l l y ,
1 8 2 3 ), p . x v i i i .
11
I b i d . , p . 275.
10
12
c h i e f l i e u t e n a n t A c c o r d i n g t o b i o g r a p h e r Cass C a n f i e l d , th e p h r a s e
13
'’t a x a t i o n w ith o u t r e p r e s e n t a t i o n " sh o u ld be a t t r i b u t e d t o O t i s ,
O t i s ' i n c o n s i s t e n t b e h a v io r c o n t r i b u t e d t o h i s demise as t h e whig
l e a d e r , b u t a knock on th e head d u r in g a t a v e r n b ra w l seemed t o
i n t e n s i f y h i s u n p r e d i c t a b l e b e h a v i o r , and h i s p r e s e n c e a t f u t u r e
p o l i t i c a l m eetin g s became a mere f o r m a l i t y ,
Ik
By 1767, th e p a s s a g e ©f a d d i t i o n a l r e p r e s s i v e a c t s
by
P a r lia m e n t caused v i o l e n t o u tb re a k s a s w e l l a s v e r b a l re m o n stra n c e s
from th e M a s s a c h u s e tts assembly*
Adams became more o u tspo ken and
t h r e a t e n i n g t o England u n t i l 1768, when B r i t i s h t r o o p s a r r i v e d t o
"encou rag e p e a c e ,"
B asin g h i s argum ents on n a t u r a l law and t h e E n g l i s h
c o n s t i t u t i o n , Adams s e n t vehement p r o t e s t s t o London, p u b l i s h e d a r t i c l e s
i n l o c a l new spapers d e f y in g t h e p re s e n c e o f th e t r o o p s , and a u th o r e d
a c i r c u l a r l e t t e r a d d r e s s e d to a l l t h e o t h e r c o lo n ie s *
The l a t t e r
t a c t i c b r o u g h t th e K in g 's rage down on M a s s a c h u s e tts , b u t no r e s c i s s i o n
happened as o rd e re d b y th e k i n g .
W ith t h i s and o t h e r s t r e s s e s , th e B oston M assacre o c c u rre d on
March 5 , 1770*
Adams s p earh ead e d demands f o r th e removal o f a l l t r o o p s ,
and th e e x e c u t io n o f t h e s o l d i e r s in v o l v e d , and e s t a b l i s h e d a t r a d i t i o n
o f commemorative a d d r e s s e s f o r t h e f o llo w in g s i x y e a r s a s a p o l i t i c a l
and e m o tio n a l rem in d e r o f t h e e v e n t .
,
—
Cass C a n f i e l d , Samuel Adams' R e v o l u t i o n , (New York: H arper and
Row, 1 9 7 6 ), p . 1U.
13
I b i d *, p . 1 1 .
Ik
The D e c l a r a t o r y A c t, Revenue A c t, Townshend A c ts .
11
The Committee o f C o rresp o n d en ce, o rg a n iz e d by Adams, founded a
n o v e l form o f communication i n 1772*
"The b u s i n e s s o f th e com m ittee
was t o p r e p a r e a s ta t e m e n t o f c o l o n i a l r i g h t s , l i s t v i o l a t i o n s . • .
communicate t h e s e t o o t h e r tow ns, and i n v i t e s i m i l a r s ta te m e n t s from
s i m i l a r com m ittees i n r e t u r n . "
s u p p o rt.
The id e a i n i t i a l l y s u s t a i n e d l i t t l e
B oston t o r i e s assumed t h e r u r a l a r e a s would be l a r g e l y
d e v o te d t o King George and c o n s e q u e n tly u n i n t e r e s t e d i n communicating
w i t h B oston r a d i c a l s .
B u t t h e e v e n ts o f 1773 changed th e b e l i e f s o f
r u r a l M a s s a c h u s e tt s ’ r e s i d e n t s .
"By 177 U, th e B oston Committee o f
Correspondence was i n communication w i th more th a n t h r e e hundred towns
i n M a s s a c h u s e tts a lo n e b e s i d e s c a r r y i n g on i n t e r c o l o n i a l c o rre sp o n d e n c e
16
. . . a s f a r s o u th as C h a r l e s t o n , South C a r o l i n a ."
Sam Adams had a c l e a r p u rp o se i n mind f o r t h e s e c o m m itte e s.
r e f e r e n c e t o them he s a i d ,
In
"Whenever th e f r i e n d s o f t h e C o un try s h a l l
be a s s u r e d o f each o t h e r s S e n t i m e n ts , t h a t S p i r i t which i s n e c e s s a r y
17
w i l l n o t be w a n ti n g ."
The " s p i r i t " t o which he r e f e r r e d w as, o f
c o u r s e , th e r e v o l u t i o n .
H i s t o r i a n H arry Hansen m a in ta in s t h a t th e
18
com m ittees o f c o rresp o n d en ce l e d t o t h e F i r s t C o n ti n e n ta l C o n g ress.
Those e v e n ts which made t h e com m ittees so p o p u l a r were th e Tea
A c t, t h e B oston Tea P a r t y , and t h e Boston P o r t A ct, which i s o l a t e d th e
------------15--------------------------Fdmund S . Morgan, The B i r t h o f th e R e p u b lic , ( U n i v e r s i t y o f
Chicago P r e s s , 1 9 6 6 ), p . 5>7•
16
M i l l e r , P io n e e r i n P ro p ag an da, p . 269.
17
M a s s a c h u s e tts H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y , The Warren-Adams L e t t e r s ,
(B o sto n , 1917) p . 1 2 .
18
Hansen, The Boston M assacre, p . 21.
12
c i t y from a l l im ports*
T h is " s p a n k in g ” o f B oston f o r th ro w in g t h e t e a
o v e rb o a rd a ro u se d sympathy n o t o n ly i n M a s s a c h u s e tts , b u t i n a l l th e
c o lo n ia l s ta te s *
. • • th e y [ t h e o t h e r c o l o n i e s j concluded t h a t B oston
was m a rty re d b e c a u s e i t sto o d fo rem o st i n d e fe n s e o f c o l o n i a l
r i g h t s , and t h e y to o k up c o l l e c t i o n s and showered th e
b e le a g u e r e d c i t y w i t h p r o v i s i o n s
Two months a f t e r th e P o r t Act became e f f e c t i v e , a c t i n g i n h i s p o s i t i o n
a s c l e r k , Adams forw arded t o th e v a r i o u s com m ittees o f co rre sp o n d e n c e a
20
p l e a t o su sp end "your t r a d e w ith G r e a t B r i t a i n • • *M
T h is r e q u e s t
e s t a b l i s h e d t h e need f o r i n t e r c o l o n i a l c o n s u l t a t i o n .
W r itin g from
P h i l a d e l p h i a on May 21, Adams i n s t r u c t e d James W arren i n B o s to n , " to
im p lo re e v e r y F r ie n d i n B oston b y e v e r y th in g d e a r and s a c re d t o Men o f
S ense and V i r t u e t o a v o id Blood and Tummult * . • N othing can r u i n u s
21
b u t V io len ce* "
C l e a r l y Adams p r e f e r r e d l e g a l means t o v i o l e n t means.
Through t h e com m ittees o f c o rre s p o n d e n c e , th e F i r s t C o n t i n e n t a l Congress
convened i n t h e f a l l o f 177U w ith Sam Adams as a d e l e g a t e from
M assach u setts.
The compromise th e d e l e g a t e s . . . adopted was a w h o le s a le
d e n i a l o f P a r l i a m e n t s a u t h o r i t y w ith a v o l u n t a r y d e c l a r ­
a t i o n o f c o l o n i a l w i l l i n g n e s s t o sub m it t o r e g u l a t i o n o f
t r a d e . 22
--------------1 5 --------------------- !---------
Morgan, The B i r t h o f t h e R e p u b lic , pp* 60 -61 •
20
W e lls , The L i f e and P u b l i c S e r v ic e s o f Samuel Adams, ( v o l . TI)
p . 1 5 8.
~
“
21
M a s s a c h u s e tts HiwStorieal S o c i e t y , Warren-Adams L e t t e r s , p . 26.
22
Morgan, The B i r t h o f t h e R e p u b l i c , p . 6 6 .
13
"The a d o p tio n o f t h e v e r y id e a s o f Samuel Adams . . •
in th is
23
compromisej p o i n t w ith s i l e n t e lo q u e n c e t o h i s e v e r a c t i v e ag en cy ."
The a d v e n t o f 177? b r o u g h t th e w ar so many had f e a r e d and a n t i c i ­
p a te d .
W ith two b a t t l e s h av in g a l r e a d y been f o u g h t, th e Second
C o n t i n e n t a l C ongress had an army w i t h o u t a l e a d e r o r th e funds t o
su sta in i t .
Sam Adams’ c h i e f concern c e n t e r e d around th e need f o r a
fo rm al d e c l a r a t i o n o f freedom .
F or a f u l l y e a r he worked "u n d e rg ro u n d ,"
t r y i n g t o m u ster t h e number o f d e l e g a t e s needed t o p a s s such a
docum ent.
F i n a l l y , more th a n a y e a r a f t e r t h e b a t t l e s o f L e x in g to n and
Concord, Samuel Adams j o i n e d f i f t y - s i x o t h e r r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s in s ig n i n g
th e D e c l a r a t i o n o f In d e p e n d e n c e .
At t h e B a t t l e o f Bunker H i l l , Adams l o s t one o f his" s t r o n g e s t and
t r u e s t s u p p o r t e r s , J o se p h W arren.
W ells s a id o f Adams and Warren t h a t
2h
11• • • t h e two had no s e p a r a t e p u r p o s e s i n p u b l i c m easu re."
According t o b i o g r a p h e r R ic h a rd F rothinghara,
These g r e a t men went i n p e r f e c t harmony t o g e t h e r .
They sh a re d th e smae b e l i e f s and p u r p o s e s , th e same hopes
and r e s o l v e s , th e same enemies a nd f r i e n d s i n common, t o
th e end. ^
Adams d i s p l a y e d h i s r e s p e c t f o r W arren and o f f e r e d some i n s i g h t
i n t o h i s own c h a r a c t e r when, i n 1777, he inform ed James Warren t h a t he
23
W e lls , The L i f e and P u b l i c S e r v ic e s o f Samuel Adams, ( v o l . I I )
p . 233.
2h
I b i d . , p , 1?1.
2?
R ichard F rothing ham , The L i f e and Times o f J o se p h W arren,
(B o sto n : L i t t l e , Brown and Company, 1
,
p . ?25•
Ik
had "raovd i n Congress t h a t t h e
E l d e s t son o f o u r d eceased F r ie n d Genl
Warren m ig h t be ad o p ted b y th e
26
>
e x p e n s e ."
C o n tin e n t and e d u c a te d a t t h e p u b l ic k
For t h e d u r a t i o n o f t h e w ar, Adams promoted two main i n t e r e s t s i
f i r s t , a fo rm a l c o n s t i t u t i o n and seco n d , f i n a n c i a l and l e g a l s u p p o r t
f o r G en eral W ashington and h i s arm ies*
I n a c h ie v in g th e f i r s t g o a l
27
Adams used h i s r e g u l a r t a c t i c s , w orking r e l e n t l e s s l y "b ehin d th e sc e n e s* '1
He was upon e v e r y c o m m ittee, had a hand i n t h e management
o f e v e r y p o l i t i c a l m e e tin g , p r i v a t e o r p tib lic ,. and a v o i c e
i n a l l t h e m easures t h a t were proposed * * *
A ccording t o John Adams, "Mr. Samuel Adams * * . v e r y r a r e l y sooke much
29
30
i n Congress . . . , "
and was seldom seen " i n t h e c e n t e r o f th e s t a g e . "
His b e h i n d - t h e - s c e n e work on t h e A r t i c l e s o f C o n f e d e r a tio n i s u n c l e a r .
B io g ra p h e r James Hosmer c l a i m s , " I t i s w o rth w h ile t o l o o k . * * a t th e
A r t i c l e s o f C o n f e d e r a tio n , b e c a u s e i n t h e fram ing o f them Samuel Adams
31
was so l a r g e l y c o n c e r n e d ."
R alph Harlow, however, m a i n ta i n s t h a t ,
^ -------------------------------
M a s s a c h u s e tts H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y , Warren-Adams L e t t e r s , p* 288.
27
M i l l e r , P i o n e e r i n P ro p ag an d a, p . 3^2.
28
T udor, The L i f e o f James O t i s , p . 271.
29
John Adams, A B iography i n His Words, (New Yorks H arper & Row
P u b l i s h e r s , I n c . , 1973) p . 1 8 0 .
30
M i l l e r , P io n e e r i n P ro p ag an d a, p . 3i|2. (Adams s u f f e r e d from
p a l s y and th u s had a shakey v o ic e and an awkward speech d e l i v e r y . )
31
James Hosmer, American S tatesm an --S am u el Adams, (B oston:
Houghton, M i f f l i n and Company, l8ti5) p .
15
’’a lth o u g h he
Adams
en deavo red to s e c u re th e a d o p tio n o f t h e A r t i c l e s ,
t h e r e i s no e v id en ce t h a t he threw h i m s e l f i n t o t h i s work w ith t h a t
32
v i g o r which made him so c o n s p ic io u s i n 177U."
The l a c k o f c e n t r a l c o n t r o l th e A r t i c l e s a l l o t t e d C o n g ress, a
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c which Adams must have f e l t v i t a l . i n c o n t r o l l i n g g o v e rn ­
m ent, prod uced th e main p rob lem w ith th e document.
A f te r a l l , th e
R e v o l u t i o n a r y War was b e in g fo u g h t t o e l i m i n a t e a c e n t r a l c o n t r o l ; i t
would h a r d l y have b een l i k e l y f o r th e new c o u n tr y t o i n s t i t u t e a g o v e rn ­
ment s i m i l a r t o P a r l i a m e n t .
" I t would b e r i d i c u l o u s in d e e d i f we were
t o r e t u r n t o a S t a t e o f S l a v e r y i n a few Weeks a f t e r we had throw n o f f
33
th e Yoke and a s s e r t e d ou r In d e p e n d e n c e ." d e c la r e d Adams.
The i r o n y
o f t h e s i t u a t i o n r e s u l t e d when Adams r e a l i z e d he had t i e d h i s own hands
i n h i s second m ost im p o r ta n t co n c e rn — s u p p o r t f o r t h e a r m ie s .
B e fo re th e A r t i c l e s became l e g a l i n 17:81, Congress had v i r t u a l l y
no r u l e s t o guid e i t s e l f .
The o v e r r i d i n g f e a r o f one f a c t i o n t a k i n g
c o n t r o l p r e v e n t e d C ongress from e s t a b l i s h i n g o r m a in ta in in g laws and
r e g u l a t i o n s f o r t h e s t a t e s a s a whole e n t i t y .
T h is r e s u l t e d i n no
m ajo r fund f o r th e m ain ten an ce o f th e army, w i t h o u t which Washington
co uld n o t c o n t r o l h i s men.
T h is "cau se" t o w hich Samuel Adams devoted
c o n s i d e r a b l e e n e rg y p ro v ed to be one o f th e few o b s t a c l e s he co uld n o t
h u r d le w ith h i s v e r b ia g e o r i n f l u e n c e .
G eneral W ashington e n t e r e d e v e ry
32
R alph Harlow, Samuel Adams, P rom oter o f t h e American R e v o l u t i o n ,
(New York: Henry H o lt and Company, l £ £ 3 ) , p . 28 8 .
33
H arry A. C u sh in g , ( e d .) The W r itin g s o f Samuel Adams, (New York:
Octagon Books I n c . , 1968 e d . ) v o l . I l l , p . 313.
16
b a t t l e n o t knowing how many men he h a d , when t h e y had l a s t e a t e n , n o r
i f t h e y had a d eq u ate m u n itio n s t o defend th e m s e lv e s .
W ith th e end o f t h e w ar, Adams was a g a i n e l e c t e d t o th e
M a s s a c h u s e tts L e g i s l a t u r e a s a s e n a t o r where he s e rv e d u n t i l 1789, when
he became l i e u t e n a n t g o v ern o r o f th e s t a t e .
I n , t h r e e y e a r s he assumed
th e g o v e r n o rs h ip upon th e d e a th o f h i s lo n g tim e f r i e n d , John Hancock.
Adams h e ld t h i s p o s i t i o n u n t i l 1797, when he r e t i r e d from p u b l i c l i f e .
Only a y e a r e a r l i e r i n 1796 h i s name had ap peared f i f t h on t h e l i s t f o r
c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f th e p r e s i d e n c y .
Thomas H u tc h in so n , archenemy o f Adams and g o v e rn o r o f M a s s a c h u s e tts
d u r in g m ost o f th e l a t e r , r i o t o u s y e a r s , d e s c r ib e d Adams:
He w as, f o r n e a r l y 20 y e a r s , a w r i t e r a g a i n s t government
i n th e p u b l i c k new spapers; a t f i r s t b u t an i n d i f f e r e n t one:
lo n g p r a c t i c e cau sed him t o a r r i v e a t g r e a t p e r f e c t i o n , and
t o a c q u i r e a t a l e n t o f a r t f u l l y and f a l l a c i o u s l y
i n s i n u a t i n g i n t o th e minds o f h i s r e a d e r s a p r e j u d i c e a g a i n s t
th e c h a r a c t e r , o f a l l whom he a t t a c k e d , beyond any o t h e r man
I e v e r knew.^h
When G overnor H u tch in so n was asked why Adams was n o t "b o u g h t o f f , " he
r e p l i e d , "Such i s th e o b s ti n a n c y and i n f l e x i a b l e d i s p o s i t i o n o f t h e
35
man, t h a t he n ev er can be c o n c i a l i a t e d b y any o f f i c e o r g i f t w h a te v e r ."
High p r a i s e coming from an enemy.
John Adams c h a r a c t e r i z e d h i s c o u s in i n 1822 as a v e r y " a r t f u l and
_—
------------------------------
Thomas H u tc h in so n , The H i s t o r y o f th e P ro v in c e o f M a s s a c h u s e tts
Bay, (Cambridge: H arvard U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1933 e d . ) v o l . I l l , p . 212.
35
T udor, The L i f e o f James O t i s , p . 271.
17
d e s ig n i n g man, b u t d e s p e r a t e l y p o o r , and w h o lly d ep en d en t on h i s
36
p o p u l a r i t y w ith th e lo w e s t v u l g a r f o r h i s l i v i n g . ”
I n 1765* John Adams gave th e most th o ro u g h co n tem p o rary a n a l y s i s
o f Samuel Adams.
Adams i s z e a lo u s and keen i n th e Cause, i s always f o r
S o f t n e s s , and D e l ic a c y , and Prudence where t h e y w i l l d o ,
b u t i s s ta u n c h
and s t i f f
and s t r i c t and
r i g i d and
in f le x ib le , in
th e Cause
. . . Adams I b e l i e v e has th e most
thou ro u gh U n d e rsta n d in g o f L i b e r t y , and h e r R e s o u r c e s , i n
t h e Temper and C h a r a c t e r o f th e P e o p le , th o n o t i s t h e
Law and C o n s t i t u t i o n , a s w e ll as th e most h a b i t u a l r a d i c a l
Love of i t , o f
any . . . as w e l l as th e most c o r r e c t ,
g e n t e e l and a r t f u l P en . He i s a Man of r e f i n e d P o l i c y ,
s t e d f a s t I n t e g r i t y , e x q u i s i t Humanity, g e n t e e l E r u d i t i o n ,
o b l i g i n g , en g ag in g M anners, r e a l a s w e ll a s p r o f e s s e d
P i e t y , and a u n i v e r s a l good C h a r a c t e r , u n l e s s i t sh o u ld
be a d m itte d t h a t he i s to o a t t e n t i v e t o th e P u b l i c and
n o t enough s o , t o h i m s e l f and h i s f a m i l y .37,
H e r b e rt S . A l l a n , b i o g r a p h e r o f Joh n Hancock, d e s c r ib e d Adams w ith
38
t h i s sim p le p h r a s e , ”No more s i n c e r e p a t r i o t e v e r l i v e d th a n Sam Adams.”
39
I n 1803,
Samuel Adams d i e d . With Boston f l a g s a t h a l f - m a s t and
shops c l o s e d , Judge James S u l l i v a n sim p ly y e t p o i g n a n t l y e u lo g iz e d h i s
f r i e n d Samuel Adams w ith t h e s e w ords:
” . . • t o g iv e h i s h i s t o r y a t f u l l l e n g t h would be t o g iv e a
hO
h i s t o r y o f t h e American R e v o l u t i o n . ”
35—
!-----------------------
John Adams, A B iog raph y i n His Own W ords, p . 1 3 3 .
37
John Adams, D ia ry and A u to b io g ra p h y , (Cambridge: The Pelknop
P r e s s o f Harvard U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1 9 6 1 ), v o l . I , p . 271.
38
H e r b e r t S . A l l a n , John Hancock, P a t r i o t i n P u r p l e , (Hew York:
The B e e c h h u rs t P r e s s , 1 9 3 3 ), p . 1 2 9 .
39
O ctober 2 , 1803.
hO
W e l l s , The L i f e and P u b li c S e r v ic e s o f Samuel Adams, v o l . I l l ,
p . 377.
CHAPTER I I I
THE POLITICAL IDEOLOGY OF SAMUEL ADAMS
The p o l i t i c a l id e o lo g y o f Samuel Adams i s im p o rta n t t o know so
t h a t an o v e r a l l u n d e r s ta n d in g o f h i s m o t i v a t i o n s and a c t i o n s can be
f u l l y a c h e iv e d .
E l a b o r a t i n g more c o m p le te ly on t h o s e a s p e c t s o f h i s
l i f e which a f f e c t e d him, w i l l p r o v id e a more d i s t i n c t p i c t u r e .
To b e g i n , t h e d e t a i l s c o n c e rn in g th e c h ild h o o d o f Samuel Adams are
vague and s p a r s e .
Much o f what i s re c o rd e d o f h i s e a r l y l i f e was
g a t h e r e d from t h o s e who knew him and had l i s t e n e d t o h i s t a l e s ,
'Whether
f a c t o r f i c t i o n , t h e s e t a l e s , a s d e p i c t e d b y Adams h i m s e l f , g iv e a
c e rta in in sig h t in to h is c h a ra c te r.
A d e s c r i p t i o n o f th e type o f p a r e n t s
he had w i l l a l s o p r o v id e an u n d e r s ta n d in g o f th e d r i v e b e h in d th e man' s
a m b i ti o n .
Adams' f a t h e r , a l s o a Samuel, known as Deacon Adams, was o b v io u s ly
th e mold from which t h e son formed h i s own l i f e .
Deacon, a d e e p ly
r e l i g i o u s man, ra n a s u c c e s s f u l b rew ery b u s i n e s s and s p e n t most o f h i s
f r e e tim e in v o lv e d i n p o l i t i c s by t a l k i n g , d e b a t i n g , and ru n n in g f o r
o ffic e .
The Caucus C lub, which i n l a t e r y e a r s would be S a m u e l's
f a v o r i t e t o o l o f i n f l u e n c e , was formed w ith Deacon Adams p r o b a b l y h av in g
1
b een a c h a r t e r member.
As a c h i l d , Samuel Adams m ust have l i s t e n e d t o e n d l e s s h o u rs o f
p o l i t i c a l d e b a tin g and t h e o r i z i n g when t h e Caucus met i n h i s home.
1
'
John C. M i l l e r , P io n e e r i n P ropaganda, (B oston: L i t t l e , Brown,
& Company, 1 9 3 6 ), p .
While Deacon Adams p r o b a b ly co uld n o t be l a b e l e d a r e v o l u t i o n a r y i n th e
same c a t e g o r y as h i s s o n , he had v e r y d e f i n i t e view s on England and
P a rlia m e n t.
The s e n i o r Adams had many d is a g re e m e n ts w ith th e
l e g i s l a t i v e branch o f G reat B r i t a i n , two p r im a r y ones b e in g payment o f
governors* s a l a r i e s , and t h e Land Bank c o n t r o v e r s y .
E a r l y i n S am u el's
l i f e , h i s f a t h e r made demands f o r th e r i g h t o f th e c o l o n i s t s t o c o n t r o l
th e s a l a r i e s of g o v e rn o rs as a form o f r e g u l a t i o n o v e r t h e i r a c t i v i t i e s .
The y o u n g er Adams echoed t h i s argum ent even more e f f e c t i v e l y i n l a t e r
years.
The Land Bank c o n t r o v e r s y , d i s c u s s e d i n d e t a i l l a t e r , was t h e
most s h a t t e r i n g c o n f l i c t Deacon Adams s u f f e r e d from Great. B r i t a i n .
T h is p rob lem a l s o had an e f f e c t on Samuel Adams f o r s e v e r a l y e a r s
fo llo w in g th e d e a th o f h i s f a t h e r .
The r e l i g i o u s t r a i t s o f th e f a t h e r were m irro re d i n t h e so n, a s was
th e i n t e n s e i n t e r e s t —a lm o s t o b s e s s i o n —w i t h p o l i t i c s .
The one m ajo r
d i f f e r e n c e betw een Samuel and h i s f a t h e r was b u s in e s s s e n s e , o f which
th e form er had none and t h e l a t t e r an abundance.
T h is d e f i c i e n c y i n
Samuel h a r r a s s e d him th ro u g h much o f .h is l i f e .
L i t t l e i s known o f Samuel Adams' m other e x c e p t t h a t she had deep
and s t r i c t r e l i g i o u s q u a l i t i e s .
H er p u r i t a n b e l i e f s , t r a n s m i t t e d t o and
ab sorbed by young Samuel l a t e r encouraged h i s p a r e n t s t o hope t h e i r son
would become a m i n i s t e r .
Because o f t h i s background h e m a in ta in e d
r e l i g i o u s s t a n d a r d s th r o u g h o u t h i s l i f e and was c a l l e d th e " l a s t P u r i t a n "
by many p e o p l e .
Adams’ t a l e s o f b i s c h ild h o o d p i c t u r e d p r i m a r i l y th e p o l i t i c a l
m e e tin g s in h i s home, and th e e x c u r s i o n s he made t o t h e w a t e r f r o n t docks
and t a v e r n s .
"S in ce he was an Adams he was n o t allo w ed t o wander o f f
20
and e n jo y th e company o f o t h e r c h i l d r e n , b u t he was so l o n e l y t h a t he
q u i e t l y d is o b e y e d , and from e a r l y boyhood d e m o n stra te d h i s d e m o c ra tic
t e n d e n c i e s by c o n s o r t i n g w ith th e sons o f longshorem en and o t h e r w a t e r 2
f r o n t d w ellers* ”
q u e stio n a b le .
The f a c t u a l q u a l i t y o f t h i s datum i s c e r t a i n l y
B ut somewhere Sam Adams d id a c q u ir e an u n d e r s ta n d in g
from th e lo w er c l a s s o f B o s to n .
I n 1736, f o u r t e e n y e a r old Sam Adams headed f o r H arvard t o s tu d y
th eo lo g y .
I n l e s s t h a n one y e a r , he abandoned th o u g h ts o f t h e m i n i s t r y
and tu rn e d t o law .
By s tu d y in g t h e works o f John Locke, Adams became
im p ressed w ith th e i d e o l o g y o f th e s e v e n te e n t h c e n tu r y t h e o r i s t .
Locke
m a in ta in e d t h a t th e power o f th e p e o p le r e ig n e d supreme- i n a l l a s p e c t s
o f government and th e r i g h t s o f th e p e o p le were n e c e s s a r i l y s u b s e r v i e n t
t o no m onarch, no governm ent, no c o u n t r y , t o n o th in g e x c e p t God.
A ll
l e g i s l a t i v e , e x e c u t i v e , and j u d i c i a l b ra n c h e s d e r i v e d t h e i r power
d i r e c t l y from th e p e o p le and when any o f t h e s e b r a n c h e s abused t h i s
pow er, th e p e o p le had t h e r i g h t and r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o o v erth ro w t h a t
pow er.
Adams to o k t o h e a r t L o c k e 's p o l i t i c a l t h e o r i e s and m oral
p h i l o s o p h y , a c c e p t i n g many o f th e g r e a t t h i n k e r s 1 p r i n c i p l e s
w ith o u t r e s e r v a t i o n . Government i s a t r u s t , and men i n
power who f a i l t o a c t f o r th e p u b l i c good a u t o m a t i c a l l y
f o r f e i t t h a t t r u s t . The a u t h o r i t y o f th e r u l e r i s always
c o n d i t i o n a l , n e v e r a b s o l u t e , and th e governed always r e t a i n
many r i g h t s o f t h e i r own. The u l t i m a t e a u t h o r i t y l i e s w ith
t h e p e o p le who a r e s o v e r e i g n .3
A nother i m p o r ta n t f a c t o r a f f e c t i n g Sam Adams w h ile a t H arvard was
th e G r e a t Awakening.
Having p r e v i o u s l y been d e e p ly r e l i g i o u s , th e
2
P a u l L ew is, The Grand I n c e n d i a r y , (New York: The B i a l P r e s s ,
1 9 7 3 ), p . 5 .
3
I b i d . , p . 7•
21
G r e a t Awakening r e i n f o r c e d Adams1 b e l i e f and h i s c h ild h o o d t e a c h i n g s .
Viewing f i r s t h a n d th e m oral e f f e c t s o f r e l i g i o n on fo rm er " s i n n e r s "
s u r e l y must have s tr e n g t h e n e d Adams' p e r s o n a l c o n v i c t i o n s .
While Adams was a t H arvard h i s f a t h e r s u f f e r e d h i s f i r s t f i n a n c i a l
problem s b r o u g h t on by th e e l i m i n a t i o n o f th e Land Bank.
Deacon Adams
had b een one o f th e c h i e f o r g a n i z e r s o f th e Land Bank o f 17h 0, which
was a ty p e o f j o i n t - s t o c k - h o l d i n g company d e s ig n e d t o a l l e v i a t e th e
l a c k o f c u r r e n c y i n th e c o l o n i e s b y i s s u i n g p a p e r money backed by r e a l
e s ta te .
S h o r t l y a f t e r t h e c o n c e p tio n o f th e Land Bank, P a r lia m e n t
p a s s e d a b i l l which outlaw ed th e Bank and made i t s d i r e c t o r s o e r s o n a l l y
r e s p o n s i b l e f o r any d e b ts i n c u r r e d .
Having been a c h i e f s t o c k h o l d e r and
d i r e c t o r , Deacon Adams l o s t much o f h i s w e a lth in p a r t i a l payment o f
th ese d e b ts .
When t h i s o c c u r r e d , Samuel gave up h i s o r e v i o u s s o c i a l
s t a n d i n g , and i n o r d e r t o h e lp w ith t h e c o s t o f h i s s c h o o l i n g , he w a ite d
on t a b l e s i n th e d in i n g h a l l .
T h is c o n c e iv a b ly had an e f f e c t on Adams'
l a c k o f a p p r e c i a t i o n f o r England and P a r li a m e n t i n h i s l a t e r y e a r s .
To th e Adams f a m il y , th e q u e s t i o n o f th e Land Bank was a t t h e r o o t
of th e s t r u g g l e as t o who would c o n t r o l t h e p o l i t i c a l l i f e o f th e c o lo n y ;
th e common p e o p le , or th e w e a lth y g e n t r y .
Sara Adams could have d e c id e d
t h e n , t h a t i f he could manage i t , i t would n o t be th e w e a lth y g e n t r y .
There a r e two v ie w p o in ts a b o u t th e e f f e c t o f t h i s c o n t r o v e r s y on
Adams.
B io g ra p h e rs Cass C a n f ie ld and P a u l Lewis i n d e p e n d e n tly m a in ta in
E
.
M i l l e r , P i o n e e r i n P ro pagan da, p . *>.
5
I b i d . , p .1 1 .
22
t h a t t h i s t e n y e a r f i n a n c i a l b u rd e n on Adams' s h o u ld e r s m ust have been
a d e c id in g f a c t o r i n h i s r a d i c a l i s m toward th e m other c o u n t r y .
Lewis
goes so f a r as t o s a y t h a t had Adams n o t b e e n c o n s t a n t l y h a r a s s e d by
B r i t i s h law m akers, he m ig ht n o t have b een so vehement i n h i s p u r s u i t
6
of lib e r ty .
However, J o h n C. M i l l e r a s s e r t e d , " . . . t h i s h a r s h t r e a t m e n t i s
n o t a to u c h s to n e by which t o e x p l a i n h i s l a t e r c a r e e r .
He became a
?
r e v o l u t i o n a r y l e a d e r i n 1?6£ because he was a New England p a t r i o t • . ."
W ith b o th v ie w p o in ts i n mind, i t would seem l o g i c a l t o assume t h a t
w h ile t h i s f i n a n c i a l d r a i n d id have an e f f e c t on Samuel Adams, p e rh a p s
g i v i n g , s u p p o r t t o h i s p e r s o n a l c o n v i c t i o n s , i t was n o t th e f o u n d a tio n
nor even one o f th e s o u rc e s o f h i s work toward t h e r e v o l u t i o n .
Almost
a l l o f h i s w r i t i n g s show h i s need t o d e m o n stra te th e r i g h t s and
p r i v i l e g e s o f Americans i n term s o f th e law ;
No p e r s o n a l b i t t e r n e s s can
be found i n th e c o n t e x t o f h i s w r i t i n g s , n o r even re a d between th e l i n e s .
His d e v o tio n was t o th e c a u s e , n o t to p e r s o n a l revenge o r v i n d i c a t i o n .
An i n d i v i d u a l who had so l i t t l e
re g a rd f o r food , c l o t h i n g , money, and
f a m ily does n o t f i t th e mold o f a b i t t e r / v e n g e f u l s o u l .
Adams' b e l i e f i n L o c k e 's t h e o r y (men i n power who f a i l t o a c t in
th e p u b l i c g o o d ), found s u p p o r t i n t h e Land "“ ank c o n t r o v e r s y .
Here Adams
could have p e r s o n a l l y w itn e s s e d and e x p e rie n c e d ty ra n n y a t w ork.
Tt is
n o t s u r p r i s i n g t h a t h i s c h o ic e f o r a t h e s i s t o p i c was "Whether i t be
—
~ z
----------------------- -
L ew is, The Grand I n c e n d i a r y , p . 23.
7
M i l l e r , P i o n e e r i n P ro p ag an d a, p . 2h.
23
l a w f u l t o r e s i s t th e Supreme M a g i s t r a te i f t h e Commonwealth c a n n o t be
8
o th e r w is e p r e s e r v e d . "
Adams m a in ta in e d th e a f f i r m a t i v e as th e o n ly
an sw er.
I t i s u n r e a l i s t i c t o assume t h a t Adams s p e n t h i s e n t i r e l i f e
i n revenge f o r t h e f i n a n c i a l l o s s he s u f f e r e d from th e Land Bank.
But
h i s t h e s i s s u r e l y prev iew ed what would come i n th e f u t u r e from t h i s
deep t h i n k e r .
Upon f i n i s h i n g a t H arvard w ith a d eg ree in p o l i t i c a l s c i e n c e ,
Samuel was a p p r e n t i c e d t o a Boston m e rc h a n t, Thomas C ushin g.
Of Adams,
Cushing s a i d , "• • . t h o u g h a c t i v e enough in mind and body, he would
n e v e r do f o r a m erch an t; t h a t h i s whole s o u l was e n g ro ss e d b y n o l i t i c s ,
9 ‘
t o which a l l o t h e r s u b j e c t s were n e c e s s a r i l y s u b s e r v i e n t . "
^orced to
g iv e up c l e r k i n g a f t e r a y e a r , Samuel was ta k e n u n d e r B e a c o n 's wing and
made a p a r t n e r i n th e b r e w e ry .
With t h i s ty p e o f w ork, Samuel had much
more f r e e tim e t o p u rs u e h i s p o l i t i c a l i n t e r e s t s .
B e s id e s d e b a tin g w ith
f r i e n d s on c u r r e n t i s s u e s o f th e d ay , young Adams and a s s o c i a t e s s t a r t e d
t
a new spaper, The In d e p e n d e n t A d v e r t i s e r , which f i r s t app eared i n
J a n u a r y o f 17U8.
The p a p e r p r i m a r i l y in c lu d e d p o l i t i c a l e s s a y s from
t h e e d i t o r - p u b l i s h e r s , o f which Adams was th e l e a d i n g so u rce o f i n p u t .
T w e n ty -e ig h t y e a r s p r i o r t o th e s ig n in g o f th e D e c l a r a t i o n of
In d e p e n d e n c e , Samuel Adams a l r e a d y a s s e r t e d h i s b e l i e f t h a t , "There i s
no one t h i n g which mankind a r e more p a s s i o n a t e l y fond o f , which th e y
f i g h t w ith more z e a l f o r , which th e y p o s s e s s w ith more a n x io u s j e a l o u s y
8-------------------------W illiam W e lls , The L i f e and P u b l i c S e r v ic e s o f Bgmuel Adams,
(B oston: L i t t l e , Brown, k Company, 1865)» v o l . t . , p . l o •
9
I b i d . , p . 12.
10
and f e a r o f l o s i n g th a n l i b e r t y , •
t h ro u g h o u t most o f h i s l a t e r w r i t i n g s .
T h is theme p r e v a i l e d
W hile c o p ie s o f The A d v e r t i s e r
were n o t p r e s e r v e d , th e p a p e r was p u b lis h e d f o r a lm o st two y e a r s .
I n 1763 Adams f i n a l l y became an o f f i c e h o l d e r .
As t a x c o l l e c t o r ,
/
h i s jo b r e q u ire m e n ts were i n h e r e n t l y o b v io u s; y e t w ith no b u s i n e s s
s e n s e , Adams d id n o t , o r c o u ld n o t , f u l f i l l th e r o l e o f c o l l e c t o r .
A fte r
two y e a r s , when th e back t a x e s had p i l e d u p, Adams was removed from th e
p o s i t i o n f o llo w in g much c o n t r o v e r s y .
The custom o f t h a t tim e made t a x
c o l l e c t o r s p e r s o n a l l y r e s p o n s i b le f o r payment o f f u n d s , which made Adams
t e c h n i c a l l y l i a b l e to " p a y - u p . ”
S in c e h£ had become so p o p u la r w it h
t h o s e who had n o t been fo rc e d t o p a y , how ever, th e c i t y o f B oston v o te d
f o r p a s sa g e o f a b i l l which f r e e d t a x c o l l e c t o r s from p e r s o n a l r e s p o n ­
s ib ility .
L i e u t e n a n t G overnor Thomas H utch inson n e v e r b e l i e v e d Adams
i n n o c e n t and accu sed him o f f r a u d and em bezzlem ent.
B ut " . . . t h e r e i s
no e v id e n c e t h a t Adams was g u i l t y o f m isu se o f p u b l i c money.
He was
c l e a r l y g u i l t y o f n e g l e c t and in co m p eten ce, b u t t h a t i s a v e r y d i f f e r e n t
11
m a t t e r from em b ezzlem en t.”
P e rh a p s t h i s a f f a i r a l s o c o n t r i b u t e d t o Adams' d i s l i k e f o r England
and h i s p e r s o n a l d i s l i k e f o r Thomas H u tc h in so n .
But s in c e he was
l e g a l l y f r e e d from f i n a n c i a l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , and was a ty p e o f h e ro
f i g u r e among th e lo w er c l a s s e s , he co u ld n o t have s u f f e r e d much
c h a r a c t e r l o s s , and maybe even came o u t on to p o f th e a f f a i r .
_
W e lls , The L i f e and P u b lic S e r v i c e s o f Samuel Adams, v o l I . ,
p. 18.
11
R alph H arlow, Samuel Adams, (New York: Henry H o lt and Company,
1 9 2 3 ) , p . 8.
The p a s sa g e o.f th e Stamp Act i n 176$ gave Adams h i s f i r s t
o p p o r t u n i t y t o e x e r c i s e h i s p o l i t i c a l p ro w e ss ,
F i s m ost f r e q u e n t
c o m p la in t promoted t h e theme o f " t a x a t i o n w it h o u t r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , "
In
a lm o st e v e r y a r t i c l e w r i t t e n i n t h i s p e r io d by Adams, a s i n most
a r t i c l e s w r i t t e n p r i o r t o 1776 , t h i s t o p i c p r e v a i l e d as th e number one
issu e,
" I f Taxes a r e l a i d upon u s i n any shape w i th o u t h a v in g l e g a l
R e p r e s e n t a t i o n where t h e y a r e l a i d , a r e we n o t reduced from th e
12
C h a r a c t e r o f f r e e S u b j e c t s t o th e m i s e r a b l e S t a t e o f t r i b u t a r y S l a v e s ? ”
A lthough th e p l e a was " t a x a t i o n w ith o u t r e p r e s e n t a t i o n i s
u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l , " Adams worked i n a u n iq u e f a c t o r w hich added th e
q u a l i t y o f t h e im p o s s ib le t o th e s i t u a t i o n .
c o u ld n o t be r e p r e s e n t e d in P a r li a m e n t .
He in s is te d ! t h a t Americans
He t h e o r i z e d t h a t i f
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s were s e n t t o E ngland, th e y would no lo n g e r be in touch
w i th th e needs o f th e c o l o n i e s , th u s c r e a t i n g worse problem s th a n no
re p re se n ta tio n .
I f t h e c o l o n i e s were t e c h n i c a l l y r e p r e s e n t e d , P a r lia m e n t
would have been f r e e t o t a x a t w i l l and Americans would have had no
reco urse.
T h is u n d e r ly in g c u r r e n t o f th o u g h t e v o lv e d :
" t a x a t i o n by
P a r lia m e n t i s u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l . "
When w r i t t e n p l e a s f a i l e d t o remove th e t a x , o t h e r methods became
necessary.
Many a u t h o r i t i e s on Samuel Adams l i n k e d h im -w ith mob gro up s
such as th e Sons o f L i b e r t y and t h e Loyal N in e .
No a c t u a l p r o o f can be
o f f e r e d t o s u p p o rt c la im s such a s , " . . .
B o sto n was c o n t r o l l e d by a
13
' t r a i n e d mob' and . . • Sam Adams was i t s k e e p e r . "
; But someone did
I r “
----------
H arry A. C u sh in g , e d . , The W r itin g s o f Samuel Adams, (New York:
Octagon Books I n c . , 1968 e d . ) v o l . t • , p . 5*
13
M i l l e f , P io n eer in Propaganda, p . 53•
26
l e a d them , and Sam Adams had a l l th e q u a l i f i c a t i o n s ,
Many o f th e
u p r i s i n g s p r i o r t o th e r e v o l u t i o n , i n c l u d i n g t h e r i o t s b r o u g h t on b y
th e Stamp A c t, were f i r s t fo u g h t v e r b a l l y , th en v i o l e n t l y .
I n P o sto n
t h e s e v i o l e n t o u tb re a k s were g e n e r a l l y a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e N o rth P o s to n
lo w er c l a s s .
I t was common knowledge t h a t Samuel Adams f r e q u e n te d th e
g a t h e r i n g p l a c e s o f N orth B oston and was r e s p e c t e d and t r u s t e d t h e r e .
As a r e s u l t , when adding h i s p e r s o n a l c o n v i c t i o n s , h i s c o n n e c tio n s w ith
th e N o rth s i d e , and h i s b e l i e f t h a t th e p e o p le r u l e d , Pam Adams o b v io u s ly
emerged as th e l e a d e r o f th e B o sto n mobs , o r o v id in g s u p p o r t f o r Adams 1
p o l i t i c a l b e l i e f t h a t th e p e o p le were supreme and i t was t h e i r
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o o verthrow ty r a n n y ,
Adams was n o t m e re ly a p o l i t i c a l t h i n k e r o f w ords, I r u t a man o f
p o l i t i c a l ways and means.
These ways and means o f te n ti m e s meant b o y c o t t s
o f E n g lis h p r o d u c t s , d e s t r u c t i o n o f E n g lis h p r o p e r t y , and i n t i m i d a t i o n
o f men who r e p r e s e n t e d t h e w i l l o r law o f E n g lan d ,
He p r a c t i c e d th e s e
methods r i g o r o u s l y d u r in g th e e n actm en t o f th e Stamp A c t,
V h eth er o r
n o t he was a l r e a d y d eterm in e d a t t h i s tim e to work f o r independence i s
unknown.
Some i n s i s t Adams made no moves b u t th o s e d i r e c t e d toward
t o t a l independence from a s e a r l y as 17U0.
s u b s ta n tia te t h i s claim .
tim es.
P u t no p r o o f s were found t o
His a t t i t u d e s seemed t o have w a iv e re d w ith th e
One t h i n g seemed c e r t a i n , b y m a n ip u la tin g p e o p le and e v e n ts
he made t h e b e s t p o s s i b l e u se o f t h e Stamp A c t.
I n a l e t t e r d ated
December, 1766, Adams rem arked, "What a B le s s i n g t o us h a s th e Stamo
m
Act e v e n t u a l l y p ro v d , which was e s t a b l i s h e d t o e n s la v e & r u i n u s . "
HI
C u shin g, The W r i ti n g s of Samuel Adams, v o l . I , , p., 109#
27
T h is qu o te co u ld be i n t e r p r e t e d a v a r i e t y o f w ays, many o f which m ight
be c o n t r a d i c t o r y .
The o n ly c h a r a c t e r i s t i c c l e a r l y e s t a b l i s h e d a b o u t
Adams was h i s a b i l i t y t o l e a d p e o p le .
T ry in g to a s c e r t a i n when Adams f i r s t began t o c o v e t l i b e r t y can
p o s s i b l y be d eterm in e d from a c h r o n o l o g ic a l a n a l y s i s of h i s w r i t i n g s .
I n 1765, d u r in g th e t r i b u l a t i o n o f th e Rtamp A ct, Adams s a i d , " I t i s
n e i t h e r t h e i r [The c o l o n i s t s ’ I n t e r e s t n o r have th e y e v e r shown th e
—1
‘ 3.5
l e a s t D i s p o s i t i o n to be in d e p e n d e n t o f G reat B r i t a i n . ”
Two y e a r s
l a t e r , he c o n tin u e d t o m a in ta in t h i s s ta n d on in d ep en d en ce:
” , . . we
c a n n o t j u s t l y be s u s p e c te d o f th e m ost d i s t a n t th o u g h t o f an in d e p e n 16
dency on G re a t B r i t a i n . ”
T h is l i n e o f th o u g h t c o n tin u e d i n h i s
w r i t i n g s u n t i l 1769, when he w r o te , ’’One w i n t e r more t r i f l e d away . . •
in f r u i t l e s s Endeavors t o e n s la v e a p e o p l e , who a r e more th a n e v e r
17
r e s o lv e d t o be f r e e . . . ”
An argum ent h e r e c o u ld be t h a t t h e s e words by Adams d id n o t
n e c e s s a r ily r e p re s e n t h is p erso n al v iew s.
Most o f th e e x c e r p t s on such
i s s u e s came from w r i t i n g s which were p a r t o f h i s jo b as c l e r k f o r th e
M a s s a c h u s e tts House o f R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s and p o s s i b l e r e f l e c t i o n s o f t h e i r
v ie w s .
B io g r a p h e r Jah n G a lv in s a i d , ’’Adams . . . d e m o n stra te d no . . .
c o n s e r v a tis m and m entioned l o y a l t y • . . o n ly when i t was t a c t i c a l l y
15
:
C ushing, The W r itin g s o f S a m u e l Adams, v o l . I . , p . 70,
16
I b i d . , p . 135*
17
I b i d . , p . LJ46 .
28
18
p r o d u c t i v e to do s o —and th e n a s an a f t e r t h o u g h t . "
I f t h i s i s an
a c c u r a t e s t a t e m e n t , i t i s c u r i o u s t h a t most o f t h e s e " a f t e r t h o u g h t s "
a p p e a re d i n t h e f i r s t two o r t h r e e p a r a g r a p h s o f Adams’ e s s a y s and n o t
i n th e c o n c l u s i o n s .
He o b v io u s ly was e a g e r to s t r e s s l o y a l t y b e f o r e
making a t t a c k s on l e g i s l a t i v e p r o c e d u r e s , a t l e a s t p r i o r to 1768.
Adams’ a l l e g i a n c e t o England seems t o have p e r s e r v e r e d a b o u t one
y e a r l o n g e r th a n h i s l o y a l t y t o King George.
H is a s s a u l t s On th e
monarch d ev elo p ed f i r s t i n d i r e c t l y and l a t e r , v e r y d i r e c t l y .
P rio r to
1767, he made no such a t t a c k s , p r o c la im in g th e King t o be a g r e a t
s o v e re ig n who d e s e rv e d t h e l o y a l t y o f a l l th e p e o p l e .
But i n 1767 Adams
w ro te t h a t ,
The law and r e a s o n t e a c h e s , t h a t , th e King can do no
wrong; and t h a t n e i t h e r King n o r P a r li a m e n t a r e o th e r w is e
i n c l i n e d th a n t o j u s t i c e , e q u i t y and t r u t h . B ut th e law
does n o t presum e t h a t th e King may n o t bo d e c e iv e d , no r
t h a t P a r li a m e n t may n o t be m is in f o r m e d .- ^
T h is i n d i r e c t a t t a c k was m ild compared w i t h what f o llo w e d .
W ith tim e ,
Adams grew more f o r c e f u l and i m p l i c a t i v e a s t o th e a b i l i t y o f th e p eo ple'
t o d e a l w ith a K ing.
I n 1769, f o r exam ple, he w ro te t h a t "We know t h a t
K in g s , even E n g lis h K in g s, have l o s t t h e i r crown and t h e i r head s f o r
— I 20
t o t a x w ith o u t th e c o n s e n t o f th e p e o p l e ." !
I t seems a p p a r e n t from a c l o s e s tu d y o f h i s w r i t i n g s t h a t Adams
TB----------------- ;--------------
John G a lv in , Three Men o f P o s t o n , (New York: Thomas '7‘. Crow ell
Company, 1 9 7 6 ), p . hh.
19
C u sh ing , The W r itin g s o f Samuel Adams, v o l . I . , p . 1 )40.
20
I b i d . , p . 288.
29
grew g r a d u a l l y i n t o th o u g h ts o f independence and s e p a r a t i o n from
E n g lan d .
As l a t e as 1768 he s t i l l hoped f o r England t o change i t s
methods o f t r e a t m e n t i n o r d e r t o resume f r i e n d l y r e l a t i o n s w i t h th e
c o lo n ie s.
C lin to n R o s s ite r , a tw e n tie th cen tu ry p o l i t i c a l t h e o r i s t ,
s a i d "There i s no re a s o n to b e l i e v e t h a t u n t i l t h e C o erciv e A cts o f 177li
o r even l a t e r t h a t American w r i t e r s were n o t s i n c e r e i n t h e i r w is h ,
w hich Samuel Adams e x p re s s e d f o r them, t o be ’r e s t o r e d to t h e i r o r i g i n a l
21
s t a n d i n g . 1"
P o s s i b l y Sam Adams has b een t h e v i c t i m o f o v e r z e a lo u s h i s t o r i a n s
a n x io u s to o f f e r a n o t h e r r e v o l u t i o n a r y h e ro i n t h e c a t e g o r y w ith P a t r i c k
Henry and P aul R e v e re .
I n so d o in g , Adams h a s b een s i m i l a r l y d e s c r ib e d
f o r 200 y e a r s a s a r e v o l u t i o n a r y e x t r o d i n a i r e .
RJhile in d eed an e x t r a ­
o r d i n a r y i n d i v i d u a l , i t i s d i f f i c u l t to p ro v e t h e a s s e r t i o n s which d e p i c t
Sam Adams p l o t t i n g t h e o v erth ro w o f E n g lis h r u l e as e a r l y as lTf^O.
Such
c la im s in c lu d e d no t o t a l l y s u p p o r ti v e d a ta thou gh t h e y a t t r i b u t e
i n t e r e s t i n g q u a l i t i e s to t h e man.
A f t e r a s tu d y o f h i s a v a i l a b l e w r i t i n g s
i t seems a p p a r e n t t h a t t h e y were in d eed i n f e r e n c e s .
A c o n c e p t upon which t h e s e c o n c l u s io n s has b een based was t h a t Adams
t o t a l l y d ev o ted h i m s e l f t o t h e cause and l i t t l e e l s e .
e a r l i e r , Adams h e ld firm r e l i g i o u s v i e w s .
As m entioned
I n 1768 he penned s e v e r a l
a r t i c l e s on t h e t h r e a t o f p o p e ry ( C a t h o l i c i s m ) , s u g g e s tin g t h a t t h i s
loomed a f a r more dangerous t h r e a t t o th e c i v i l r i g h t s o f men t h a n th e
22
Stamp A c t.
Some w r i t e r s pro p o se t h i s t o be a n o t h e r te c h n iq u e employed
21
C l i n t o n R o s s i t e r , The P o l i t i c a l Thought o f the^A m erican
R e v o l u t i o n , (New York: H a r c o u r t , B r a c e , & World I n c . , 1 9 6 3 ), p . h3»
22
C ushing, The W r i ti n g s o f Samuel Adams, v o l . I . , p . 203.
30
23
b y Adams t o in fla m e th e p e o p le a g a i n s t E ng lan d,
in fe re n c e .
b u t t h i s i s a l s o an
Assuming th e c la im s a b o u t h i s r e l i g i o u s c o n v i c t i o n s a c c u r a t e ,
i t seems somewhat u n l i k e l y t h a t Adams would u se h i s r e l i g i o n t o win
c o n v e r t s t o th e r e v o l u t i o n a r y movement.
them t o P u r i t a n i s m .
R a t h e r , he would t r y t o win
I f r e l i g i o u s c o n v e r s io n was h i s i n t e n t , h i s
d e v o tio n d id n o t l a y e n t i r e l y i n th e p o l i t i c a l c a u s e .
Im m e d ia te ly f o llo w in g t h i s p e r i o d t r o o p s a r r i v e d i n B oston and
Adams d i d become t o t a l l y ab so rb ed i n h i s work f o r th e c a u s e .
A theme
which f i l l e d h i s w r i t i n g s d u r in g t h i s p e r i o d in v o lv e d t h e v i o l a t i o n o f
c i v i l l i b e r t i e s b r o u g h t on b y th e p r e s e n c e o f a s ta n d i n g army i n B o s to n .
He a l s o a s s o c i a t e d t h e army w ith freedom .
”T t i s a v e r y im p ro b ab le
s u p p o s i t i o n t h a t any p e o p le can lo n g rem ain f r e e , w ith a ^ s tr o n g m i l i t a r y
2U
power i n th e v e r y h e a r t o f th e c o u n t r y , n
Fe even p r e d i c t e d t h a t
v i o l e n c e would e n i p t from th e p r e s e n c e o f th e army.
Adams u n i t e d th e r i g h t s o f th e c o l o n i s t s t o be f r e e w ith t h e ,iob
o f t h e s o l d i e r s , and a r r i v e d a t t h e obvious c o n c lu s io n r
th e army would
u l t i m a t e l y d e s t r o y th e c i t y o f B o sto n .
T his [ d i f f e r e n t law s g o v e rn in g s o l d i e r ^ may i n tim e make
them [ t h e s o l d i e r s ] lo o k upon th e m s e lv e s a s a body o f men
d i f f e r e n t from th e r e s t o f th e p e o p le , and as th e y o n ly
have th e sword i n t h e i r h a n d s , t h e y may s o o n e r o r l a t e r
b e g in t o lo o k upon th e m s e lv e s ^ a s t h e l o r d s and n o t th e
s e r v a n t s o f th e p e o p le
^
23
R o s s i t e r , The P o l i t i c a l Thought o f t h e American R e v o l u t i o n , p . 37
2h
C ushing, The W r itin g s o f Samuel Adams, v o l . I . , p . 203.
25
I b i d . , p p . 2 5 2 -2 53 .
His p o l i t i c a l b e l i e f t h a t s ta n d i n g arm ies i n tim es o f p eace
v i o l a t e d th e law was e x t e n s i v e l y d ev elop ed in h i s w r i t i n g s .
a l s o th e view s e t forw ard b y John L ocke.
T h is was
Adams rem ained f a i t h f u l t o
Locke1s t h e o r i e s a t l e a s t u n t i l 1770.
The a b i l i t y t o u n d e r s ta n d t h e fe e lin g s^ 'a n d needs o f th e p e o p le
p r o v id e d Sam Adams w ith h i s s t r o n g e s t p o l i t i c a l s k i l l .
Re had t h e
u n iq u e i n s i g h t t o ta k e th e o c c u r re n c e s o f th e tim e and r e l a t e t o e v e r y
American c o l o n i s t t h a t each one sto o d t o l o s e h i s r i g h t s i f he d id n o t
j o i n f o r c e s w it h Adams and h i s c o m p a t r i o t s .
He b e s t a c h iev ed t h i s end
th ro u g h th e m a n ip u la tio n o f English-m ade la w s , p o l i c i e s , and such
s u b j e c t s as t a x a t i o n , r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , and n a t u r a l r i g h t s .
Adams' b e l i e f
t h a t t h e p e o p le m ust o verth ro w a t y r a n t d a t e s b a c k t o h i s ' c o l l e g e d a y s ,
as d id many o f h i s b e l i e f s .
W hile he may have w aiv ered in h i s d e s i r e
f o r in d e p e n d e n c e , a p p a r e n t l y he n e v e r w aiv ered i n h i s s ta n d f o r t h e
a s s e r t i o n o f E n g lis h r i g h t s i n A m erica.
Samuel Adams was a p r o t a g o n i s t
o f u n e x c e l l e d s t a t u r e f o r th e cau se o f r e v o l u t i o n .
CHAPTER IV
A DESCRIPTION OF THE BOSTON MASSACRE
The e v e n ts l e a d i n g t o th e B oston Massacre, o f March £ , 1770 can
be a n a ly z e d in two ways.
F i r s t , a bro ad overview o f g e n e r a l e v e n ts
th r o u g h o u t a l l th e c o l o n i e s , and s e c o n d ly , a c l o s e r lo o k a t e v e n ts
s p e c i f i c a l l y o c c u r r i n g i n B o s to n .
A g e n e r a l , o v e r a l l lo o k a t C o l o n i a l America can g iv e a b e t t e r
u n d e r s ta n d i n g o f the l a t e r o c c u r re n c e s i n B o s to n , j The b e g in n in g s ) o f
'he. £ . H .
,
d i s s e n t can be t r a c e d t o th e c o n c l u s io n o f th e F re n c h and I n d i a n War i n
1763.
P r i o r t o t h i s tim e ^ h ig h commerce and r e a d y money h e ld t h e economy
s t a b l e b e c a u s e o f w a r.
W ith th e end o f th e w ar, however, a r e c e s s i o n
m a t e r i a l i z e d i n a l l th e c o lo n ies* .
E n g lan d , h a v in g a l a r g e war d e b t ,
d ecid ed t o t a x t h e c o l o n i e s u s in g th e revenue t o p a y t h e s e d e b t s .
They
began t h i s p r o c e s s by e n f o r c i n g a l r e a d y e x i s t i n g law s such a s th e
N a v ig a tio n A c t s , which e s p e c i a l l y a f f e c t e d sm uggling and i l l i c i t t r a d e
w ith fo rb id d e n c o u n t r i e s .
During th e w ar, sm uggling had b een a l l b u t
o p e n ly en c o u ra g e d , so n a t u r a l l y t h i s change o f a t t i t u d e o ffe n d e d th o s e
who had smuggled f r e e l y f o r t h e war cause b u t f o llo w in g th e war were n o t
allo w ed t o do so f o r t h e i r own p r i v a t e g a i n s . |
|jTo encourage en fo rcem en t o f th e s e a c t s , crews of th e s h ip s
c a p t u r i n g v e s s e l s w ith i l l e g a l goods were t o be g iv en a s h a re i n th e
p r i z e money.
T h is promoted v i o l a t i o n o f law s by th e crews o f n a v a l
v e s s e l s an x io u s t o o b t a i n w e a l t h , c a u s in g r e s e n tm e n t and contem pt i n
c o l o n i a l t r a d e r s , p r i m a r i l y i n New E n g la n d ./
I n 176iij th e p a s s a g e o f th e S ugar flct" l i t t h e flame o f d i s c o n t e n t
which burned f o r o ver tw elv e y e a r s .
T h is a c t p la c e d d u t i e s on s u g a r ,
f o r e i g n m o la s s e s , f o r e i g n rura ( e x c e p t B r i t i s h rum which co u ld e n t e r t a x
f r e e ) , c e r t a i n w in e s , c o f f e e , i n d i g o , and s i l k s . More i m p o r t a n t l y ,
'~P^&yUL.
(Xj
how ever, (the a c t alm o st t o t a l l y f r e e d custom o f f i c i a l s from c i v i l s u i t s
b r o u g h t a g a i n s t them b y d e f e n d a n t s .
F in e s were t o be d iv id e d between
a
t h e in f o r m a n t , th e g o v e r n o r, and th e B r i t i s h t r e a s u r y . D e f e n d a n ts ,
t r i e d i n a d m i r a l t y c o u r t s f u n c t i o n i n g w ith o u t j u r i e s , d e n ie d Americans
1 //
CD
t h e i r b a s i c r i g h t s as E n glish m en. ^
jl The c r y o f ’’t a x a t i o n w i t h o u t r e p r e s e n t a t i o n ” o r i g i n a t e d from t h i s
a c t a lo n g w ith th e r e a l i s a t i o n f o r th e n e c e s s i t y o f u n i t y among th e
c o lo n ie s.
Yet even w ith v ig o r o u s o p p o s i t i o n , t h e Sugar Act rem ained
u n rep ealed .
from th e a c t .
The i r o n y o f th e s i t u a t i o n l a y irT 'the la c k o f money r a i s e d
C i t i z e n s were to o p o o r ( p a r t l y b e c a u se o f th e r e c e s s i o n )
t o p ay th e d u t i e s and c o n s e q u e n tly went w it h o u t th e commodity.
The a c t , however, remained unchanged u n t i l th e D e c l a r a t i o n o f
In d e p e n d e n c e , and p ro v id e d th e m ajor jj a l t h o u g h - r e l a t i v e l y - i n s i g n i f i c a n t ,
<^5source o f rev en u e f o r B r i t a i n from th e c o l o n i e s .
B o sto n , i n c i d e n t l y ,
was one o f th e s i x m ajor p o r t s which p a id s e v e n ty p e r c e n t o f t h e d u t i e s
2
from th e S u g ar A ct.
I
:
;
_____
- 0 scar-Tr~Barck""and“ Hug h~ T . L e f l e r , C o lo n ia l A m erica, (New York:
The MacMilliam Company, 1 9 6 8 ), p p . lj93-h9U.
■
"2
I b i d . , p . h96.
3li
^ T h e n e x t m ajo r c o n t r o v e r s y came on t h e h e e l s o f t h e Sugar Act i n
CkJJl [DCXfSJL^ m O r 'Z-Jj
17.61+3. The C urrency A ct,
i . L t i ' CfC\.Q
B a s i c a l l y t h i s law made i l l e g a l a l l - p a p e r
money and r e q u i r e d d e b ts and b i l l s t o be o a id i n h a rd money.
The c h i e f
s o u rc e o f hard money had b een th e rum and m o lasses t r a d e which th e
S u gar Act had j u s t e l i m i n a t e d |
O b y io u s ly , P a r li a m e n t wanted t o keep th e
i n f l a t i o n r a t e from g e t t i n g o u t o f h a n d , and to p r o h i b i t Americans from
\
p a y in g t h e i r E n g li s h c r e d i t o r s i n d e p r e c i a t e d p a p e r money. Farmers
\
and r e s i d e n t s o f r u r a l a r e a s were n o t a s a f f e c t e d s i n c e t h e i r form o f
"money” had been th e b a r t e r sy ste m . . Those i n t h e c i t y how ever, found
i t a lm o s t im p o s s ib le t o p ay f o r th e n e c e s s i t i e s o f l i f e which o n ly
in c re a se d t h e i r d is c o n te n t.
jO
| *~'|C
i i
' 1r\f;
;
L I n o r d e r f o r Am ericans to s h o u ld e r p a r t i a l c o s t of t h e i r own
p r o t e c t i o n and a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , a n o t h e r a c t became n e c e s s a r y .
In 1765,
t h e Stamp Act p la c e d t a x e s on ” . • • n ew spap ers, p a m p h le ts , l e g a l p a p e r ,
C
m ortg ag es . . . ”
c*. J
-C—
The c o n t r o v e r s y a r o s e o u t o f t h e - i n f r i n g e m e n t of
c h a r t e r r i g h t s t o l e v y i n t e r n a l t a x e s and of—c o u r c e , " t a x a t i o n w it h o u t
r e p r e s e n t a t i o n . ”j
W r i tt e n and spoken p r o t e s t s grew in u rg e n c y and v i o l e n c e .
In
V i r g i n i a th e I-Tenry R e s o lv e s l e d th e way i n th e form o f w r i t t e n p r o t e s t s '.
S peech es i n o p p o s i t i o n t o th e a c t ra n g o u t in a l l c o l o n i e s .
Tn B o sto n ,
mob a c t i o n p h y s i c a l l y f o rc e d O l i v e r , a customs o f f i c i a l , to r e s i g n i n
h
fe a r of h is l i f e .
S i m i l a r o u tb re a k s unsued th r o u g h o u t th e c o l o n ie s
3
Barch and L e f l e r , C o lo n ia l America, p . [j.99*
k
. I b id .,
p .
503•
p r o v id i n g th e f i r s t t a n g i b l e i s s u e t h e c o l o n i e s u n i t e d l y r e v o l t e d
a g a in st,
O-J'bx. SV'G^-'-^p O &+ C
Thi:s = u n i'te d - e - f f o r t, t h e Stamp Act C o n g re ss, w ith r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s
from e v e r y c o lo n y , sent- a D e c l a r a t i o n o f R ig h ts and G riev an ces t o t h e
s^oJuur-vc^
P a r l i a m e n t and th e King d e t a i l i n g th e re a s o n s th e a c t should be r e p e a le d
y e t a f f i r m i n g t h e i r l o y a l t y t o E ng land , T h is proved t o be a somewhat
; aVr.
P '- V
^
^ f u t i l e ^ e n t u r e ; b u t t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f th e C ongress l a y i n - t h e —f a c t ,
t h a t —it-b e c a m e th e f i r s t w o rkable u n i t e d c o l o n i a l e f f o r t .
T hroughout th e c o l o n i e s
• . . l e v i e s on im p o r t s , a lth o u g h t h e y were n o t
e s p e c i a l l y burdensom e, i r r i t a t e d th e c i t i z e n s o f th e
c o l o n i e s , and e s p e c i a l l y o f B o sto n , t o th e p o i n t .of open
d e f ia n c e . In c id e n t a f t e r in c id e n t e x c ite d th e c i t i z e n r y
and enraged th e o f f i c e r s o f th e Crown. Even t h e manual
l a b o r e r s o f B o s to n , who were n o t a t a l l l e a r n e d i n
P r o v i n c i a l Law, u n d e rs to o d t h a t th e r e a l i s s u e was
' w h eth er a d i s t a n t P a r li a m e n t had t h e r i g h t to r u l e t h e i r
l i v e s , o r i f th e c o l o n i s t s had th e same r i g h t s f r e e
E nglishm en en jo y e d a t h o m e , 5
\
F i n a l l y th e one o p t i o n a consumer alw ays h a s , th e b o y c o t t , became
1
_
r
K~
*
)
th e < m a n ip u la tiv e f a c t o r .
t o an e n d .
r
1
h
1
1
' a
■ * f
■
R e f u s a l t o use th e stamps b r o u g h t a l l b u s i n e s s
C o u rts could n o t o p e r a t e , new spapers could n o t be p r i n t e d ,
b i l l s co uld n o t be c o l l e c t e d , l e g i s l a t u r e s could n o t convene, s h ip s
could n o t be u n lo a d e d , and goods co u ld n o t be e x p o r t e d .
Tn E n g lan d ,
e x p o r t s t o th e c o l o n i e s a lm o st c o m p le te ly s to p p e d , c a u s in g mass unemplcy
raent.
A f t e r two m onths, t h e c o l o n i e s began o p e r a t i n g aga'in; w i t h o u t
stamps I" On March lj , 1766, th e Stamp Act came to i t s e n d ^ J
r
R o b e rt S m ith, The Infam ous B oston M a ss a c re , (U nited S l a t e s :
M acM illia n Company, 1 9 6 9 ), p , 6 .
/ B e f o r e th e r e p e a l o f th e Stamp A c t^ h o w e v e r , P a r li a m e n t massed
th e Q u a r t e r i n g A ct,
T h is measure e s t a b l i s h e d th e r i g h t o f England to
s t a t i o n t r o o p s i n A m erica, a t t h e c o s t o f th e c o l o n i s t s . T h e tr o o p s
a
j
ZLZ
su p p o se d ly were t o p r o t e c t t h e c o l o n i s t s from a t t a c k s b y I n d i a n s . F o r
/
some r e a s o n th e c o l o n i s t s f V
aIi l e d\; t o r e c o g n iz e t h i s when th e t r o o p s
made camo w i th i n th e c i t y l i m i t s o f New Y ork J
I n s t e a d , t h e c i t i z e n s saw
/ n t o th e S ugar and Stamp
t h i s measure as a method o f f o r c i n\g su b m issio
A c ts ,
The New York L e g i s l a t u r e , s l i l l l o y a l i s t s , com plied w i t h t h i s
move and t h e s o l d i e r s beg an t o l i v e \ a m o n ^ th e c i t i z e n s o f New vo r k ,
s e t t i n g p r e c e d e n t f o r o t h e r c o l o n i a l 1.
(_The same day o f th e Stamp Act r e p e a l , P a r l i a m e n t s ig n e d th e
D e c l a r a t o r y Act p o i n t i n g o u t th e s u b o r d i n a ti o n o f t h e c o l o n ie s t o
England i n a l l a s p e c t s o f gov ern m ental c o n t r o l and a s s e r t i n g t h a t
P a r li a m e n t had th e r i g h t t o d e c l a r e n u l l and v o id any s t a t u t e s , b i l l s , o r
6
1
law s stemming from th e c o l o n i e s . J T h e' i m p l i c a t i o n s o f t h i s measure
rem ained unseen i n th e j o y o f th e Stamp Act r e p e a l and n o t u n t i l J u n e ,
\
1767> d id th e D e c l a r a t o r y 'Act’ s f u l l meaning /become v i s i b l e .
On t h i s d a t e , t h e Duty o r Revenue A ct was p assed f o r th e p u rp o se
o f r a i s i n g money i n t h e c o l o n i e s \ t o j ^ y ^ h e s a l a r i e s o f j u d g e s , g o v e r n o r s ,
and o t h e r o f f i c i a l s .
P r i o r t o t h i s 7 \ c o l o n i a l l e g i s l a t u r e s had iised
s a l a r y f l u c t u a t i o n t o c o n t r o l th e a c t i o n s o f o f f i c i a l s , a form o f c o n t a i n -
/
\
ment v i t a l t o th e am icable f u n c t io n s o f governm ent.
W itho ut t h i s c o n t r o l ,
ju d g e s cou ld h a r s h l y a r b i t r a t e c a s e s in v o lv in g p e o p le whose view s d i f f e r e d
6 1
Barck and L e f l e r , C o lo n ia l Am erica, p . 507.
from E ngland, g o v e rn o rs cou ld v e to d e s i r e d l e g i s l a t i o n o r d is m is s
assem bly m e e tin g s and w1 t h t h e 'D e c l a r a t o r y A ct, c o l o n i s t s c o u ld do
n o th in g l e g a l l y . _
,
US. hi)Jzz_
, h I n an a t t e m p t t o have t h e s e a c t s re v o k e d , Samuel Adams a u th o r e d
th e M a s s a c h u s e tts C i r c u l a r L e t t e r i n J a n u a r y , 1768,^ which p o in te d o u t
t h e i r u n f a i r n e s s and t h e n e c e s s i t y f o r r e p e a l .
The l e t t e r was
c i r c u l a t e d t o th e o t h e r c o l o n i a l a s s e m b lie s f o r s i g n a t u r e s b e f o r e b e in g
s e n t t o P a r li a m e n t and th e K in g .
Under d i r e c t i o n from th e K ing, P a r li a m e n t o rd e re d M a s s a c h u s e tts t o
r e s c i n d th e l e t t e r .
PJhen-they r e f u s e d , t h e E n g lis h -g o v e rn m e n t responded
b y r e - e s t a b l i s h i n g t r e a s o n lew s and b y send in g two r e g im e n ts o f t ro o p s
t o B oston t o ^ ” . . . p r o t e c t th e men who c o l l e c t custom s d u t i e s f o r th e
r . . • th e
owner o f B o s" to n , th e King o f E n g la n d .”7 _ •and t o rem ind^”
i n h a b i t a n t s t h a t th e Home Covernment c o n s id e re d them a r e b e l l i o u s ,
t r a i t o r o u s , and r i o t o u s l o t , who r e q u i r e d armed s o l d i e r s t o t e a c h them
o bed ien ce t o law . . . ” h <
On June 1 0 , 1768, P a r lia m e n t r e a l i z e d t h a t t h e move t o send t r o o p s
( n o t y e t a r r i v e d ) t o B oston was a wise d e c i s i o n .
The L i b e r t y , a s h ip u>-h<• |,
,.owned™~by John Hancock, lan d ed and p r o m p tly unloaded i t s carg o o f wine „
^
_ . „ ^ CSK.V
w i th o u t payment o f d u t i e s . W i n e = d u t y ^ ta x a b l e un d er th e S ugar A c t, had
OX* O
GC-iJ
t o be p a i d p r i o r t o u n lo a d in g . Having j u s t r e c e iv e d word from England
t o more s t r i c t l y e n f o r c e d u ty la w s , th e ~ c u s to m s -* o ffi-c ia ls , d i's c o v e r in g 7
H arry Hansen, The Boston M a ss a c re , (Nevr York: H a s tin g s House,
P u b . , 1 9 7 0 ), p . 11.
8
Sm ith, The Infamous Boston M assacre, p . 1 .
38
%hirs~d-isregard~~ f o r j l a w , o rd e re d th e s h ip s e i s e d u n t i l payment was made
Troops from th e B r i t i s h w a rs h ip Romn^fy, s t a t i o n e d in B oston H arbor a s a
v i s u a l re m in d e r o f t h e k i n g ' s power o v er t h e p e o p l e , b o a rd e d and towed
" tt" ! ©
T «4
A —4-
4 4^ r»
/-J /S r \ I f
The c a p t u r e o f th e L i b e r t y s e t o f f a c h a in r e a c t i o n o f one mob
u p r i s i n g a f t e r a n o th e r e v e n t u a l l y c a u s in g a l l b u t one o f t h e customs
o f f i c i a l s t o seek p r o t e c t i o n o f th e t r o o p s aboard th e Pomney.
Ten days
l a t e r th e custom s o f f i c i a l s is s u e d a r e q u e s t f o r tr o o p s t o be s e n t t o
9
Boston*
4^. M eanwhile, u n d e r o r d e rs from th e town m e e tin g , Joh n Adams com piled
a s e t o f I n s t r u c t i o n s f o r th e M a s s a c h u s e tts l e g i s l a t u r e , c o n c lu d in g w i t h ,
" . • . e v e r y such P e r s o n , who s h a l l s o l i c i t e o r promote th e i m p o r t a t i o n
o f Troops a t t h i s t i m e , i s an Enemy t o t h i s town and P r o v in c e , and a
10
d i s t u r b e r o f t h e p eace and good o r d e r o f b o t h * ” ^
Pour months l a t e r ,
two re g im e n ts o f B r i t i s h r e g u l a r s a r r i v e d in
B o s to n . / j ’l n a d d i t i o n t o th e two r e g im e n ts t h e r e were a detachm en t o f
th e 99 t h re g im e n t and a t r a i n o f a r t i l l e r y w i t h two cannon, i n a l l a b o u t
12
P r o m 't h i s p o i n t i n tim e u n t i l th e day o f th e M a ss a c re , th e e v e n ts
i n B oston can b e s t c h a r a c t e r i z e th e cause o f th e r i o t on March 9 . . P r i o r
9
H i l l e r Z o b e l, The ^ o s to n M a ss a c re , (New York? W.W. N o rto n ft
Company, I n c . , 1970) p .' 86 .
10
I b i d . , p . 80.
11
S ep tem b er, 1768.
12
Hansen, The Boston Massacre, p . 1 2 .
39
t o t h e a r r i v a l ^ o f t h e t r o o p s , most B o s to n ia n s d id n o t c o n s id e r them­
se lv e s in d iv id u a lly p e rs e c u te d .
The c i t y ' s l e a d e r s r e a c t e d t o B r i t a i n ' s
t y r a n n y as thou gh i t t h r e a t e n e d c o l o n i a l r i g h t s i n g e n e r a l .
How,
how ever, w ith t h e tr o o p s p r e s e n t , B o sto n had h e r own p r i v a t e war w ith
t y r a n n y . ^»"To t h e p e o p le o f B osto n t h e coming o(f th e t r o o p s was
o u tr a g e o u s .
They had b e e n f i g h t i n g f o r y e a r s a g a i n s t i n f r i n g m e n t b y
B r i t a i n o f t h e i r r i g h t t o t a x th e m s e lv e s , so t h a t t h e y re g a rd e d th e
137
t r o o p s a s i n s u f f e r a b l e c o e r c io n . .
The f i r s t m ajor c o n f lic t^ a c c o m p a n ie d t h e a r r i v a l o f th e tr o o p s i n ,
^
t h e . - c i t y - l i m i t s . , f o r t h e y had no p l a c e to s t a y .
One o f th e re g im e n ts
cHjj
e s t a b l i s h e d tem p o ra ry lo d g in g s i n th e l e g i s l a t i v e , h o u s e , w h ile a n o t h e r
p i t c h e d t e n t s on th e common.
{^According to th e p r o v i n c i a l c h a r t e r , t r o o p s i n tim e o f
p eace could n o t be q u a r t e r e d on the town: w h ile b a r r a c k s were
a v a i l a b l e e l s e w h e r e . There were b a r r a c k s s t a n d i n g empty
a t C a s tle W illia m , an i s l a n d i n B oston H a rb o r, and t h e town
f a t h e r s f e l t t h a t t h i s was where th e t r o o p s sh ou ld g o . But
th e Customs C om m issioners, who had asked f o r t h e t ro o p s in
th e f i r s t p l a c e , wanted them on th e s t r e e t s o f Boston t o
p r e v e n t disorders.-*-'-1- ^
W ith no lo d g in g s a v a i l a b l e , and w i n t e r r a p i d l y a p p r o a c h in g , s c o r e s - o f
B r i t i s h r e g u l a r s began d e s e r t i n g .
The e x a c t number "is unknown, b u t i t
h a s - b e e n e s tim a te d -th a t s e v e n t y t o one hundred men i n t h e s e r v i c e o f th e
King headed w e s t .
F i n a l l y , th e end o f O cto ber b r o u g h t s h e l t e r f o r t h e
s o l d i e r s in w areho u ses s u rr o u n d in g t h e Custom House, (a n d - f o n s e v e r a l
\j -grz\ u j*.' L-*
o f f i c e r s , r e n t e d rooms a t e x o r b i t a n t r a t e s from l o c a l c i t i z e n s .
13
Hansen, The B oston M a ssa c re , p . 1 2 .
1U
Smith, The Infamous Boston M assacre, p . 1 2 .
■-*-
j
JSr.
3
G
' W ith t h i s c o n f l i c t u n d e r c o n t r o l , th e s o l d i e r s ' had o t h e r problem s
UV- *:
•>
^ t , < 0 i t ) >i ! ■ " » ' • ■
w i th which t o d e a l . | ^ n l y a sm a ll m i n o r i t y o f B o s to n ia n women would
d a te o r a tte n d s o c ia l fu n c tio n s w ith re d c o a ts .
Businessmen r e f u s e d th e
custom ary p r o c e d u re o f g i v i n g p a r t - t i m e work to s o l d i e r s .
Tn g e n e r a l ,
t h e l o c a l p e o p le r e f u s e d even to be i n th e s a m e ,ta v e r n o r s t o r e w ith t h e
s o ld ie rs.
T h is t o t a l d i s r e g a r d f o r t o l e r a n c e ( o r common decency')
b u i l t a f o u n d a tio n f o r a n i m o s i t y betw een th e c i t i z e n s and t h e re d c o a te d
,
e n f o r c e r s o f th e la w . (fl
~ T h jL L/xJ
f t. H .
/ W i t h i n t h r e e months o f t h e a r r i v a l o f th e t r o o p s , Boston m erch an ts
s ..
made a fo rm al p r o t e s t t o E n g lan d .
The m erch an ts o f th e town, formed i n t o a Trade
A s s o c i a t i o n , v o te d a N o n i m p o r t a t i o n a g re e m e n t 1 t o r e f r a i n
from a c c e p t i n g o r o r d e r i n g from England any goods e x c e p t
n e c e s s i t i e s . . . Any m erch an ts r e l u c t a n t t o s u s c r i b e to
t h i s agreem ent were v i s i t e d by a com m ittee t h a t e a r n e s t l y
p le a d e d w ith them n o t t o b e t r a y th e c a u s e . E v e n t u a l l y
a l l b u t t h r e e o f t h e m erch an ts i n town had s u s c r i b e d . . .^ 5 ^
Becoming e f f e c t i v e "Jan u a ry 1 , 1 7 6 9 f t h i s " a s s o c i a t i o n ” rem ained a c t i v e
u n t i l th e d e p a r t u r e o f th e t r o o p s "'over a y e a r l a t e r a lth o u g h i t was n o t
as e f f e c t i v e as th e b o y co tt^ o f 1769*
^ L o c al new spapers r e p o r t e d s e v e r a l i n c i d e n t s of abuse b y th e
s o ld ie rs.
L i e u t e n a n t Governor Thomas H u tch in so n s a id t h a t ,
fA s t o r y o f
a f i c t i t o u s q u a r r e l in c e n s e d th e lo w e r p a r t o f t h e p e o p le and b r o u g h t
on a r e a l q u a r r e l . N
,16
James Bowdin, a p a t r i o t spokesman r e v e a l e d t h a t
S m ith , The Infamous B o ston M a s s a c re , p . 16.
16
"
~
—
—
Thomas H u tch in so n , The H i s t o r y o f th e M a s s a c h u s e tts Bay C olony,
/(Cambridge : H arvard ITnivers^hy P r e s s , 1933)"/' v o l . ' I l l , p . 1 6 2 .
hi
"The s o l d i e r s f r e q u e n t l y wounded th e c i t i z e n s o f B oston w ith t h e i r
17
c u t l a s s e s and b a y o n e t s , " and d i s c l o s e d t h a t some s o l d i e r s , "when t h e y
l e f t t h e i r b a r r a c k s and s t r o l l e d a b o u t th e tow n, f r e q u e n t l y c a r r i e d
l a r g e c l u b s , f o r th e p u r p o s e , no d o u b t, o f a s s a u l t i n g th e p e o p l e , though
18
w ith a p r e t e n s e f o r t h e i r own s a f e t y . " J He co nceded, how ever, t h a t th e
'
-
,!m in d s -o f~ th e -p e o p le _ w e re g r e a t l y i r r i t a t e d a n d _ th a t some i n d i v i d u a l s
z~~
z r ~ - __
TI
_
' 19
w e re " a b u s iv e i n t h e i r la n g u a g e ~ to w a rd s _ th e m i l i t a r y . "
Thomas
H u tc h in so n o f f e r e d a n o t h e r v ie w p o i n t o f t h e s e i n c i d e n t s :
/
J__^While th e g e n e r a l and th e o f f i c e r s u n d e r him were
e n d e a v o rin g t o a v o id , as f a r a s p o s s i b l e , eveyy o c a s s io n
o f d i s t u r b a n c e betw een th e i n h a b i t a n t s and th e t r o o p s ,
g r e a t p a i n s were ta k e n by p a r t i c u l a r p e r s o n s t o r e n d e r t h e
t r o o p s a s o d io u s as p o s s i b l e , and t o in fla m e th e minds
o f th e p e o p le a g a i n s t t h e m . ^ ^
A p p a re n tly n e i t h e r s i d e was f a u l t l e s s i n t h e d i s t u r b a n c e s .
B o ld ie r s
s t a t i o n e d on th e s t r e e t s r e p r e s e n t e d t h r e a t s , -rea-1—o r -im a g in e d , to any
u n e s c o r t e d f e m a le .
O th e r^ s e g m e n ts -o f_ s o c ie .ty b e l i e v e d th e m se lv e s
t h r e a t e n e d i n o t h e r ways:
-17— "
James Bowdin, O r i g i n a l N a r r a t i v e o f th e B oston M a ss a c re , /
^B oston: C orner House P u b l i s h e r s . 1973 e d > ), P»J19«
18
Ib id ., p. 6 .
19
I b id ., p.
20
H u tc h in s o n , The H i s t o r y o f th e M a s s a c h u s e tts Bay C o lony, v o l . I l l ,
p . 162 .
h2
(j . • . j o b l e s s manual w o r k e rs , and even some who were
w o rk in g , th e s a i l o r s who had no s h ip were o f t e n h u n g ry ,
were w r e tc h e d ly c l o t h e d , and found t h a t h ard c a s h was
s c a r c e , so much o f th e t o w n 's c o in b e in g ta k e n up i n
t a x e s and d u t i e s , which had to be p a id in s p e c i e . • •
a p p r e n t i c e s and th e s l a v e s , who fed a t t h e i r m a s t e r ' s
t a b l e s , found t h a t when b re a d and b u t t e r grew s c a r c e ,
t h e y were t h e ones who la c k e d them f i r s t o f a l l . So t h e
p r e s e n c e o f a l i v i n g enemy, an o b j e c t on which a man
c o u ld work o f f h i s a n g e r and s t i l l n o t l o s e , t h e good
o p in io n o f th e b e t t e r f o l k , p r o v id e d a s p le n d id t a r g e t
f o r a l l th e d i s c o n t e n t e d o f t h e to w n .23- ^
T h e _ so ld iers_ h o w ey er^ j^
fo llo w in g t h e i r e o r d e r s ."
to r e s i d e i n a c o u n tr y s e v e r a l thousand^mr^^^
fo rced
fa m ilie s ,
t r e a t e d as th ou gh t h e y had l e p r o s y , and d e p r iv e d 'o f ^ fem ale com panionship,
th e s o l d i e r s resp o n d ed i n a t y p i c a l l y human way; a r ro g a n c e and s u p e r i o r i t y .
The c o m b in a tio n o f t h e s e h o s t i l e f e e l i n g s from b o th s i d e s began
t o c u lm in a te w ith th e new y e a r , 17 70 .
re p o rte d ly h arrassed
K beneser R ic h a r d s o n , a k n ^ n ^ i n f o r m a n t f o r th e
custom s c o l l e c t o r s .
b a l l s , o y ste r
h i s home.
R ich ard so n r a l l i e d a g a i n s t th e boys who—threw* Snow­
s h e l l s , and o t h e r t r a s h , p ro m ptin g him t o
^ He r e t u r n e d
w ith a
negl-ected t o lo a d th e weapon.
,
On F e b ru a ry 22, a number o f boys
.
-
rev o lv er
ta k e r e fu g e i n
o n ly t o d i s c o v e r t h a t
he had
The boys found th is" " to " b e e x tr e m e ^ly
^
humorous-and -evi75ehrce~of-~the-mants_igno_rance.
They-began th ro w in g an y-
- th i n g '" t h e y “could f i n d “ a t “ R ic h a r d s o n ,‘s -h o m e -fo llo w in g - h is -second r e t r e a t ;
o ■.
,
t i <UjCi<X/LkO0*
b u t_ h e „ r e a p p e a r e d w ith a lo a d e d weapon, and .fired from an u p s t a i r s
22
window wounding one boy and k i l l i n g a n o th e r*
.
The'’m urder” o f
c r .
-j b
‘
^
: %. -
a c h i l d b y a known in fo r m a n t serv ed t o em bitter*. <<v>n foJljljNb
, • J ■a u \4 x ^ . ; •
h * >A-’-n
C The R ich ard so n a f f a i r was blamed on the Customs
Commissioners who had h i r e d him, and th e t r o o p s who r e p r e s e n t e d h i s
21-------------------------------
S m ith , The Infam ous B oston M a ssacre, p . 2h•
22
The dead c h i l d was e l e v e n y e a r old C h i s to p h e r S n i d e r .
-/ .
U3
.23
P r o t e c t i o r T h o m a s ^ u t c h i n s o n , i n h i s h i s t o r y o f M a s s a c h u s e tts , made
no m entio n o f th e a f f a i r .
i t had on th e c i t y .
He must have realized^the^om iT ious" e f f e c t
P A c h a rd sb n ^ js --th e ^ town m ust have se e n i t , murdered
a c h i l d fox* a c tin g ^ a s ^ h e ^ h a ’d seen the. B o s to n ia n a d u l t s a c t s i n c e th e
tim e he wss^a^sma'Il c h i l d .
u n fo rg e tta b le
An u n f o r g i v a b l e a c t, i n th e to w n 's view , and
b y th e l o c a l p r e s s .
T h is tr a g e d y to o k p l a c e j u s t e le v e n days b e f o r e th e M assacre o f
March £5 and s e t t h e p r e c e d e n t f o r th e n e x t week and a h a l f .
On March 2 ,
a d i s t u r b a n c e b ro k e o u t a t Samuel G r a y 's Ropewalk when ^ r a y i n s u l t e d a
r e d c o a t lo o k in g f o r work/"~T
down by a w o rk er and
^*,r' he s o l d i e r was knocked
^
4
*
abused b e f o r e e s c a p in g to f in d h e l p , th e n r e t u r n e d w ith, a group o f e i g h t
r\
* *.
' '
■
%
o r n in e c r o n i e s who proceed ed t o ta k e on t h e w o r k e rs .
F orced t o r e t r e a t ,
th e s o l d i e r s r e t u r n e d once more, now numbering f o r t y , y e t a g a in were
r o u te d by th e c i t i z e n s .
B r i t i s h o f f i c e r s p r e v e n te d th e s o l d i e r s from
r e t u r n i n g a t h i r d tim e and a l o c a l j u s t i c e o f th e peace r e s t r a i n e d th e
2 li
w o rk ers from p u r s u i n g t h e i r a t t a c k e r s
v - ^^
X ^ T h e s t o r y o f ' t h e ' c l a s h a t Gray'^s Ropewalk grew as i t p a s s e d from
mouth t o mouth, u n t i l th e c i t iz e r is '^ r e f u s e d t o a llo w ..th eir women 'and
c h i l d r e n on th e s t r e e t s . ^From March 2, u n t i l th e even ing o f March
many s m a l l e r i n c i d e n t s s i m i l a r t o th e one a t G r a y 's to o k p l a c e a l l o v e r
t h e town.
T ensions were b u i l d i n g .
I n th e e a r l y ev en in g o f March G, a
B r i t i s h s o l d i e r on gu ard d u ty a t M urray’ s B a r r a c k s , TTugh W h ite , h i t a boy
w ith h i s musket f o r p u b l i c l y l y i n g a b o u t an o f f i c e r .
23
S m ith , The Infamous B oston M a ssa c re , p . 2 7 .
2h
Z ob el, The Boston Massacre, p . 182.
The b o y 's c r i e s
b r o u g h t c i t i z e n s who, s e e i n g - t h e i n j u r e d boy tu r n e d on W h ite .
f o r h i s l i f e , W hite c a l l e d o u t th e main g u a rd .
In f e a r
The c i t i z e n s and g uard s
s n a r l e d a t each o t h e r as th e crowd grew b i g g e r and more d y o i s t r o u s .
C a p ta in John G o ld f in c h , hoping ^to a v e r t b lo o d s h e d , o rd e re d th e t r o o p s to
w ithdraw t o t h e i r b a r r a c k s .
!
L e a v in g W h ite on g u a rd a g a i n , t h e s o l d i e r s w e n t i n s i d e .
The
c r o w d , h o w e v e r , d i d _ n o . t . d i s p e r s e - a n d ~ r e n .e w e d " t h e i r ~ h e c k l i n g—o f _ W h i t e ,
^&£&nJjzdL
th is ^ .tim e -b y th ro w in g s n o w b a lls and t r a s h and v e r b a l l y a s s a u l t i n g him .
/
The p e o p le were t a u n t i n g th e s e n t r y , and n o t m erely c a l l i n g
names; th e y .w e re p i c k i n g up p i e c e s o f i c e and t o s s i n g them .
a t him . The crowd was g e t t i n g l a r g e r . About tw e n ty o r s o ,
many o f whom ap p eared t o be s a i l o r s , approached from C o r n h i l l .
They were l e d b y a t a l l m u l a t t o , who was c a r r y i n g a l a r g e
cord o f wood s t i c k . They were s h o u tin g and1'w h i s t l i n g and
sev en o r e i g h t were c a r r y i n g s t i c k s o v e r t h e i r h ead s * j*
White a g a in c a l l e d f o r th e main guard which pro du ced seven guards
le d b y C a p ta in Thomas P r e s t o n .
About t h i s same t i m e , a l a r g e group
a p p r o a c h e d from . D o c k S q u a r e l e d b y a man o n h o r s e b a c k w e a r i n g a w h i t e
wig and red c l o a k , and o b v io u s ly g i v i n g o r d e r s which i n c i t e d t h e g ro u p .
"The t a u n t s were s a r c a s t i c .
unarmed men?
'C ow ards, you need guns t o fa c e
26
P u t y o u r guns down and w e 'r e y o u r men1. 1" J About t h i s
tim e someone began r i n g i n g th e f i r e a la rm (ch urch b e l l s ) b r i n g i n g many
B o s to n ia n s w i th b u c k e ts and s a c k s .
W ith in a s h o r t tim e th e crowd had
h " fi /'t'l
grown from a few boys t o an enormous s i z e . Those who had answ ered th e
"2?
Hansen, The P o sto n M a s s a c re , p . 3h»
26
I b i d . , p . 3? •
Ph
‘ i -■?
V/
f i r e a la rm e i t h e r sto o d as b y s t a n d e r s o r to o k p a r t i n th e H ecklin g
w h ile th e f i r e ala rm s c o n tin u e d t o sound a c r o s s B o sto n .
j
f
I
I
Theodore B l i s s . . . worked h is -w a y to th e s c a n t n e u t r a l
ground b etw een th e mob and t h e b a y o n e t s .
’Are y o u r men
lo a d e d ? 1 he asked P r e s t o n .
’Y e s , ’ th e o f f i c e r answ ered.
'A re th e y lo a d e d w ith b a l l ? 1 P r e s t o n d id not r e o l y .
’Are
t h e y g o in g t o f i r e ? ’ 'They c a n n o t f i r e w i t h o u t my o r d e r s
•
*
N
f
A nother c i t i z e n approached P r e s t o n :
" ' I hope you d o n ’t i n t e n d th e s o l d i e r s s h a l l f i r e on th e
i n h a b i t a n t s ? ’ 'By no means, by no means. My g iv in g t h e
word to f i r e , u n d er th e s e c ir c u m s ta n c e s , would n ro v e me
___
no o f f i c e r . ” ' 2?
The mob b e l i e v e d th e s o l d i e r s would n e v e r f i . r e f and-conv-inced . o f
C l/'c L .
/ .
-it\, "scream ed f o r b lo o d
You d a r e n o t come o u t . . Your s c o u n d re ls '.
'
' '
28
... . .
You b lo o d y b ack s I
You l o b s t e r s l 1rl^J A co u p le o f b r i e f 'braw ls^ b etw een
- a - s d l d i e r i ^ n d - a c i t i z e n ' i n f u r i a t e d - t h e crowd.
w here, no one c o u ld s a y .
A s h o t sounded; from
I t i s p o s s i b l e t h a t someone y e l l e d " f i r e , " b u t
no one would blame P r e s t o n . ( " . . .
th e w i t n e s s e s who d e s c r i b e d th e
'2 9
f i r i n g un anim ously r e c o l l e c t e d t h a t th e m uskets banged a lm o st a t w i l l . " /
When i t was o v e r, f i v e men had been k i l l e d o r m o r t a l l y wounded,
two maimed f o r l i f e , and th e e n t i r e town o f B oston stun nedd and ooutr.
u tr a g e d .
6)
yl) fP'JLAs^
27
T o b e l, The B oston M a s s a c re , p p . 1 97 -1 9 8 .
28
S m ith , The Infam ous B oston M a ss a c re , p . 9.0#
29
Z o b e l, The B oston M a ssa c re , p . 1 9 8 .
'/The e r r a t i c
f ir in g by th e s o ld ie r s r e s u lte d
fr o m t h e b r e a k i n
h u m a n / e n d u r a n c e t h a t c o m e s w h e n men n o t r e s p o n s i b l e f o r ttlh e i r s i t u a t i o n
3<
a re goaded in t o d e s p e r a te r e sp o n se to t h e i r to r m e n to r s ." M
i The B o s t o n M a s s a c r e o f M arch £ , 1 7 7 0 , en d ed t h e o c c u p a t i o n o f
B o s t o n b y " t r o o p s , a n d t h e l i v e s o f f i v e m e n , o n e i o f whom w a s b l a c k ; b u t
i t d id n o t en d t h e t y r a n n y and t a x a t i o n w h ic h had o r i g i n a l l y c a u s e d
th e sc e n e .
T h e M a s s a c r e e n d e d t h e sym p tom ;, b u t t h e .A m e r ic a n R e v o l u t i o n
ended th e c a u se .
30
Hansen, The Boston Massacre, p . 39.
CHAPTER V
PART I
THE CASE OF SAMUEL ADAMS:
GUILTY OR INNOCENT?
A h is t o r ic a l p e r s p e c t iv e
I n a n s w e r i n g t h e i n i t i a l q u e s t i o n i n t h i s s t u d y ; d i d S a m u e l Adams
p l a n a n d /o r c a u s e t h e B o s t o n M a s s a c r e — an a n a l y s i s o f h i s a c t i o n s ,
v e r b a l m e s s a g e s , a n d t h e d e s c r i p t i o n s a b o u t h im c a n b e s t h e l p r e s o l v e
t h i s in q u ir y th ro u g h a l o g i c a l ap p roach t o d e te r m in e th o s e t h in g s
w h i c h Adams m u s t h a v e d o n e t o b e c o n s i d e r e d g u i l t y o f t h i s a c c u s a t i o n .
The e v id e n c e from t h e f i v e q u e s t i o n s l i s t e d
i n t h e ' i n t r o d u c t i on
w e r e w e i g h e d an d a n a l y z e d i n d i v i d u a l l y , b a s e d on i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m
S ep tem b er 1 7 6 8 , im m e d ia te ly p r i o r to th e a r r i v a l o f B r i t i s h t r o o p s , t o
M arch
5a 1 7 7 0 , t h e d a y o f t h e M a s s a c r e .
A ll e v id e n c e was in v e s t ig a t e d
fro m tw o v i e w p o i n t s , p o s i t i v e and n e g a t i v e .
D i d S a m u e l A d a m s, t h r o u g h w r i t t e n o r s n o k e n m e s s a g e s , e n c o u r a g e
th e c i t i z e n s o f B o sto n t o d efen d t h e m s e lv e s w ith w eapons?
H isto r ia n
H i l l e r Z o b e l , i n r e f e r e n c e t o A d a m s’ r o l e i n t h e M a s s a c r e , m a i n t a i n s t h a t ,
. . . . i t i s n o t r e a s o n a b l e t o a ss u m e t h a t A dam s,
h o w ev er d e d ic a t e d h e w as t o th e p r i n c i p l e o f rem o v in g t h e
t r o o p s , w o u ld a t t e m p t t o do so b y a g e n e r a l e n g a g e m e n t.
Such a c l a s h , b e s id e s p r o d u c in g an enorm ous b l o o d l e t t i n g ,
w o u ld a l s o c o n s t i t u t e h i g h t r e a s o n and o u t r i g h t r e b e l l i o n ,
n e i t h e r o f w h ic h B o s t o n o r t h e r e s t o f A m erica w a s y e t
prepared to a c c e p t.
I f t h i s a ssu m p tio n i s a c c u r a t e , th e n i t
f o l l o w s t h a t Adam s w o u l d h a v e
1
H i l l e r Z o b e l , T h e B o s t o n M a s s a c r e , (N ew Y o r k : W .W . N o r t o n *r
Com pany I n c . , 1 9 7 0 ) , p . I H 1 .
d is c o u r a g e d t h e use o f arms bv th e c i t i z e n s b e c a u s e he p r e f e r r e d o t h e r
mean 3 o f p e r s u a s io n *
The o t h e r means would o f c o u r s e , h a v e b een th e la w ,
Adams w rote i n a new spaper a r t i c l e December, 1 ? 6 8 , ’’The la w , which
when r i g h t l y u s e d , i s th e curb and t e r r o r o f th e h a u g h t i e s t t y r a n t . . • ”
and when t h i s ap p ro ach i s em ployed, ” . . . th e o r d e r l y and p e a c e a b le
i n h a b i t a n t s w i l l be r e s t o r e d t o t h e r i g h t s , o r i v i l e g e s and im m u n itie s o f
2
free s u b je c ts —”
C l e a r l y y9dams en cou raged th e u se o f l e g a l means a s
a form o f p r o t e s t .
S u p p o r tin g t h i s t h e o r y , W illiam Tudor d e s c r ib e d
3
Adams* methods as ” . . . a l l l e g i t i m a t e . .
There i s one f a c t o r which must be r e a l i z e d i n t h i s a n a l y s i s o f
Adams.
Zobel p o in te d o u t " .
. ♦ i t i s n o t r e a s o n a b le t o assume . . . ”
t h a t Adams was e a g e r f o r v i o l e n c e , w h ile Adams h i m s e l f and 'fudor d e p i c t
t h e l e g a l i t y o f ap p ro ach es b y th e p a t r i o t .
which c a n n o t j u s t i f i a b l y be o m i t t e d .
There rem ains a a u a l i f i e r
Tudor, i n h i s d e s c r i p t i o n o f Adams,
w en t on t o s a y t h a t w h ile h i s m easu res were " l e g i t i m a t e , ” any e x t r e m i t y
h
c o u ld cau se an ” ♦ • . i r r e g u l a r i t y , a v i g o r beyond th e law . • . ”
In
t h i s p a r t i c u l a r c a s e , Tudor r e f e r r e d t o Adams’ in v o lv em en t i n th e "Boston.
Tea P a r t y .
Can i t be s a i d t h e r e f o r e , t h a t a " v i g o r beyond th e la w ” such
2
H arry C ushing, ^he W r i tin g s o f Bamuel Adams, (N ew York: Octagon
Books I n c . , 1968 e d . ) , v o l . I , p p . ^ ^ 8 -2 ^ 9 .
3
W illia m Tudor, The L i f e o f James O t i s , (Boston: W ells and L i l l y ,
1 8 2 3 ), p . 277.
h
Ib id .
h9
as t o s s i n g ” . . .
. . . ”
t h r e e hundred and f o r t y - t w o c h e s t s o f th e f i n e s t t e a
i n t o t h e B oston H arbor i s s i m i l a r to s t a g i n g th e m assacre o f
f i v e men?
P e rh a p s n o t , b u t th e c l e a r e s t i n s i g h t can be o b ta in e d by-
exam ining what Adams had to s a y c o n c e rn in g th e adornment o f arm s.
Im m ed iately p r i o r t o th e a r r i v a l o f th e t r o o p s ,
Mams was e l e c t e d
t o a com m ittee whose r e s p o n s i b i l i t y in c lu d e d d e f i n i n g a p o s i t i o n f o r t h e
c i t i z e n s to m a i n t a i n when th e t r o o p s c a s t a n c h o r .
”The p o s i t i o n was
t a k e n , t h a t t h e p e o p le had a r i g h t t o oppose w ith arms a m i l i t a r y
6
f o r c e 3 e n t t o compel them to su b m it to u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l a c t s . . . ”
E i t h e r Adams c o n c u r r e d w i t h t h i s d e c i s i o n , o r h i s o p p o s i n g o p i n i o n
c a rrie d l i t t l e
s i g n i f i c a n c e i n B o sto n , an u n l i k e l y n o t i o n .
B io g r a p h e r R ich ard F rothin gh am c i t e s a q u o t a t i o n a l l e g e d l y from
Adams arou n d th e c lo s e o f 1768 which makes r e f e r e n c e to t h e t r o o p s .
"Before th e k in g and p a r l i a m e n t s h a l l dragoon u s , and we become s l a v e s ,
7
we s h a l l ta k e up arm s, and spend o u r l a s t drop o f b l o o d . ”
C u r io u s ly ,
F rothin gh am does n o t document t h i s q u o t a t i o n , y e t he does so f o r a
p r e v io u s u t t e r a n c e by J o s i a h Quincy and a f o llo w in g q u o t a t i o n by Andrew
E l l i o t , a l l t h r e e on th e same p a g e .
Whether Sam "darns spoke th o s e words o r n o t i s r e l a t i v e l y i n s i g ­
n ific a n t.
The f o llo w in g p a s s a g e , w r i t t e n e a r l y in 1769, s u b s t a n t i a t e s
T_
------------
J o h n C . M i l l e r , P i o n e e r i n P r o p a g a n d a , ( P o s t o n : L i t t l e , Brown
& C o m p a n y , 1 9 3 6 ), p . 29h»
\
6
R ichard .^rothingham , The L i f e and Times o f J o s e p h b a r r e n ,
(B o sto n : L i t t l e , Brown, & Company, 1 9 3 6 ), p . 29li.
7
I b i d . , p . 7it“7 •
5o
a s i m i l a r m ood o f Adam s o n '’m e a s u r e s f o r r e d r e s s " :
To v i n d i c a t e t h e s e s r i g h t s , s a y s N r . B l a c k s t o n e , w h e n
a c t u a l l y v i o l a t e d o r a t t a c k ’ d , t h e s u b j e c t s o f Tj' n g l a n d a r e
e n t i t l e d f i r s t t o th e r e g u la r a d m in is t r a t io n and f r e e
co u rse o f j u s t i c e in th e c o u r ts o f la w — n e x t t o th e r ig h t
o f p e t i t i o n i n g t h e K in g and p a r lia m e n t f o r r e d r e s s o f
g r i e v a n c e s — and l a s t l y , t o t h e r i g h t o f h a v i n g and u s i n g
arm s f o r 3 e l f - p r e s e r v a t i o n and d e f e n s e . $ !
O b v i o u s l y Adams w a s e x p r e s s i n g t h a t t h e r i g h t t o b e a r a r m s w a s
h ig h ly n e c e s s a r y , b u t o n ly to
hadf a i l e d
b e e m p lo y e d , w h e n a l l o t h e r m e a n s o f p r o t e s t
to a c c o m p lish th e d e s ir e d e n d .
The a n sw e r t o
th e f i r s t
q u e s t i o n — d i d A dam s e n c o u r a g e t h e c i t i z e n s o f B o s t o n t o d e f e n d t h e m s e l v e s
w it h w eap on s seem ed a f f i r m a t i v e .
The s e c o n d a r e a f o r c o n s i d e r a t i o n c o n c e r n s A d a m sr c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n
o f th e tr o o p s .
D id h e p r e s e n t t h e s o l d i e r s a s a t r u e t h r e a t t o t h e
l i v e s and l i b e r t y o f t h e c i t i z e n s o f P o s t o n ?
Adam s f o l l o w e d h i s u s u a l f o r m o f c o m b a t i n g t h e i l l e g a l i t y o f a n
a c t b e fo r e r e s o r t in g t o o th e r m eans.
"The G a z e t t e c a r r i e d a l o n g s e r i e s
o f h i s a r t i c l e s , a l l o f w h ich l a i d
em p h a sis uoon th e ’u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l 1
9
c h a r a c t e r o f th e o r d e r w h ich p la c e d th e t r o o p s in B o s to n ."
One e x a m p l e
o f t h i s a p p ea red in D ecem b er, 1 7 6 8 , when h e w r o te :
"The r a i s i n g and
k e e p i n g a s t a n d i n g arm y w i t h i n t h e K in g d o m , i n a tim e o f p e a c e u n l e s s i t
10
b e w i t h t h e c o n s e n t o f P a r l i a m e n t , i s a g a i n s t t h e L a w ."
A d a m s, w h i l e
8
:-------------C ushing, The W r i t i n g s o f Samuel Adams, v o l . T, p . 317.
9
B .a lp h H a r l o w , S a m u e l A d a m s ,
(New Y o r k : H e n r v TJo l t a n d C om 'oany,
1 9 2 3 ) , p . .1 .8 9 -
10
C u s h i n g , T he W r i t i n g s o f S a m u e l A d a m s, v o l . I , p.. 269*
s t r e s s i n g th e i l l e g a l i t y
t h i s a c t , a l s o s u g g e ste d t h a t th e l i b e r t i e s
o f th e p e o p le were a t s t a k e .
He warned t h a t a l l would be made s la v e s
11
i f th e s o l d i e r s were allow ed to c o n ti n u e t h e i r p a t r o l l i n g .
F a rly
i n 1769 he c o n tin u e d t h i s a t t a c k i n t h e G a z e t t e ?
T t seems t o be a p r e v a i l i n g o p in io n w ith some f o l k s , t h a t
t h e r e c a n n o t be a c o l l e c t i o n o f p e r s o n s i n t h i s town, even
upon th e most n e c e s s a r y o c c a s i o n s , b u t t h e r e must needs be
d a n g e r o f a mob; and th e n f o r s o o t h th e m i l i t a r y must make
t h e i r a p p e a re n c e o f t h e i r own meer m o tio n , re a d y c o c k 'd &
p r i m 'd , t o p r e v e n t i t .3-2
B efo re he gave up on l e g a l means o f r e c t i f i c a t i o n , he began e s t a b l i s h i n g
an image o f th e s o l d i e r s which cou ld have and p r o b a b ly d id c r e a t e f e a r
i n th e r e s i d e n t s o f B o s to n .
One such image a p p eared on December 12, 1768,
a l i t t l e more th a n two months a f t e r t h e a r r i v a l o f th e t r o o p s .
• • . h o w e a s y would i t b e f o r t h e s o l d i e r s , i f t h e y alo n e
sho uld have th e svord i n t h e i r h a n d s , t o use i t w a n to n ly ,
and even t o a g r e a t annoyance and t e r r o r ; o f th e c i t i z e n s ,
i f n o t t o t h e i r d e s t r u c t i o n .3-3
T h is theme p r e v a i l e d i n most o f .Adams' w r i t i n g s from t h i s p e r i o d .
TJh e th e r
h i s i n t e n t was to e n ra g e t h e c i t y o r f r i g h t e n t h e lo c a l governm ent i n t o
rem oval o f th e t r o o p s i s n o t known.
b o th ends.
P o s s i b l y h i s i n t e n t was t o a c h ie v e
The m o ti f t h a t th e t r o o p s m ig h t harm t h e c i t i z e n s ap p eared
i n newspaper a r t i c l e s penned b y Adams, and i n o f f i c i a l documents from
th e House o f R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s a l s o a u th o re d by Samuel Adams.
His
n
C u shin g, The W r itin g s o f Samuel Adams, v o l . I . p . 2f>7.
12
I b i d . , p . 309.
13
I b i d . , p . 266.
c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n o f th e t r o o p s seems t o have b e e n a p p a r e n t :
They were
d ang ero us t o b o th th e l i b e r t i e s and t h e l i v e s o f B o s t o n i a n s .
The t h i r d q u e s t i o n c o n c e r n in g th e g u i l t o f Adams c a n n o t be e a s i l y
an sw ered .
By March 1770, had a l l l e g a l means o f r e d r e s s c o n c e rn in g t h e
t r o o p s been e x e r c i s e d and had t h e y a l l f a i l e d ? sF i r s t , th e ’’l e g a l means”
need t o be l i s t e d , d e s c r i b e d , and th e n a n a ly z e d f o r s u c c e s s o r f a i l u r e .
F our obvious l e g a l s t e p s were ta k e n t o f i r s t p r e v e n t t h e encampment o f
th e t r o o p s i n B o s to n , and th e n t o have them removed:
f i r s t , a d e n ia l
o f l o c a l q u a r t e r s f o r t h e s o l d i e r s ; s e c o n d , g r ie v a n c e s t o t h e King;
t h i r d , p e t i t i o n s t o th e G ov ern or; and f o u r t h , a n o n - im p o r ta tio n a g re e m e n t.
The f i r s t l e g a l means o f p r o t e s t d e v is e d b v th e whig l e a d e r s
c e n te r e d around p r o p e r q u a r t e r i n g f o r th e t r o o p s .
Local c i t i z e n s r e f u s e d
t o p ro v id e any h o u sin g w h a ts o e v e r b e c a u s e t h e p o p u la r b e l i e f claim ed th e
■
lli
a c t q u a r t e r i n g s o l d i e r s i n p r i v a t e r e s i d e n c e s t o be u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l .
A ccording t o Sam Adams, O c to b e r, 1768, t r o o p s c o u ld n o t be q u a r t e r e d i n
town when b a r r a c k s rem ained a v a i l a b l e e l s e w h e r e .
Such B a r r a c k s a re p ro v id e d by t h i s government a t a v e r y
c o n s i d e r a b l e e x p e n s e , & a r e now empty: t h e r e f o r e th e i n h a b i ­
t a n t s o f t h i s town a r e i n j u s t i c e as w e l l a s by law s e c u re
from th e in c o n v ie n c e o f h av in g tr o o p s q u a r t e r ' d among them
in any c a s e w h a te v e r , a t l e a s t t i l l th o se B a rra c k s a r e f u l l - - T h is t a c t i c f a i l e d and th e t r o o p s were e v e n t u a l l y housed w i t h i n t h e c i t y
lim its.
_
More d e t a i l e d d i s c u s s i o n on t h i s can be found i n c h a p t e r f o u r .
IS
C ush ing , The W r itin g s o f Samuel Adams, v o l . I , p . 2B1.
The second form o f r e d r e s s r e v e a l e d i t s e l f i n p l e a s t o t h e King
and P a r l i a m e n t f o r re m o v a l-o f t h e t r o o p s .
Through t h e s e a p p e a l s which
c i t e d th e B r i t i s h c o n s t i t u t i o n , the King became t h o r o u g h l y in fo rm ed
o f B o s to n ia n g r i e v a n c e s .
Yet b e c a u se r o y a l r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s had r e q u e s te d
t h e p r o t e c t i o n of th e tr o o p s in th e f i r s t p l a c e , th e King ig n o re d th e
c o m p la in ts from th e M a s s a c h u s e tts L e g i s l a t u r e .
T his ap pro ach a l s o f a i l e d
A t h i r d a tte m p t a t l e g a l l y removing th e t r o o p s m a n if e s te d i t s e l f
i n a t t a c k s on th e power o f th e g o v e r n o r .
A fte r re p e a te d ly i n s is tin g
t h a t G overnor B ernard had t h e a b i l i t y t o remove t h e t r o o p s (a p r i v i l e g e
B ern ard d e n i e d ) , Adams, i n h i s r o l e as c l e r k , composed a message to
th e G overnor i n June 1 76 9.
Adams d e f in e d th e p o s i t i o n o f t h e Whigs b y
e x p l a i n i n g th e u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l n a t u r e o f th e p r e s e n c e o f th e tro o o s
and th e p o s s i b l e r e p e r c u s s i o n s o f t h e i r a c t i o n s .
"An a b s o l u t e pow er,"
d e c la r e d Adams, "which had th e sword c o n s t a n t l y in i t s h a n d , may e x e r c i s e
16
a v i g o ro u s s e v e r i t y whenever i t p l e a s e s . "
When t h i s s t r a t e g y f a i l e d , Adams produced in fla m m a to ry i n f o r m a t i o n
a g a i n s t Governor B e rn a rd , hop ing to t u r n t h e e n t i r e B oston p o p u l a t i o n
a g a i n s t th e to p r o y a l o f f i c i a l .
U sing th e G a z e t t e , Adams o u o ted from
l e t t e r s s u p p o se d ly w r i t t e n b y B ernard t o p i c t u r e t h e G overnor a s p l o t t i n g
a g a i n s t th e w e l f a r e o f M a s s a c h u s e t ts .
Thomas H u tc h in s o n , b e l i e v i n g the
l e t t e r s t o have been f a k e , d e s c r i b e d t h i s e v e n t in h i s H i s t o r y o f
M a s s a c h u s e tts :
They [ th e w r i t e r s and p u b l i s h e r s o f th e G a z e tte ] charg e
him [^Bernard] w ith w ant c a n d o u r, w i t h i n d e c e n t i l l i b e r a l ,
and m ost a b u s iv e t r e a t m e n t o f them [ th e l e t t e r s ] • • •
i s -------------------- :---------- !
C ushing, The W r itin g s o f Samuel Adams, v o l . I , p . 3hS»
w ith a d e s ig n t o r e p r e s e n t t h i n g s i n th e w o r s t l i g h t , w ith
unmanly d i s s i m u l a t i o n , and w ith u n t r u t h *17
W hile t h i s scheme was h a r d l y e t h i c a l , i t can n o t be p ro v e n i l l e g a l and
s im p ly p ro v id e d Adams a n o t h e r form o f ammunition i n h i s " c a u s e ."
The l a s t ty p e o f l e g a l r e d r e s s , and p e r h a p s th e most p o t e n t , was
r e v e a le d in th e form o f a n o n - im p o r ta tio n a g re e m e n t.
T h is h i g h l y l e g a l
and e x tr e m e ly e f f e c t i v e method o f c o m p la in t had u n d e r to n e s which re e k e d
of i l l e g a l i t y .
Many m erch an ts l i t e r a l l y com plied w ith t h i s ag reem en t
o u t o f f e a r f o r t h e i r l i v e s and p r o p e r t y .
I n J a n u a r y , 1770, Adams
a p p e a le d to th e c i t i z e n s t o " en co u rag e" com pliance to t h i s u n d e r s ta n d in g
I f t h i s agreem ent o f th e m erch an ts i s o f t h a t consequence
t o a l l Americans which o u r b r e t h e r n i n A ll th e o t h e r g o v ern m en ts,
and i n G r e a t B r i t a i n I t s e l f t h i n k i t t o b e —I f th e f a t e
o f Unborn M il l i o n s i s suspended upon i t , v e r i l y i t - b e h o o v e s ,
n o t th e m erch an ts O nly, b u t e v e r y i n d i v i d u a l o f E very c l a s s
in C i t y and C o u n try t o a id and s u p p o r t them and P e r e m p t o r i l y
t o I n s i s t upon i t s b e in g S t r i c t l y ad h ered to A ®
E f f e c t i v e im m e d ia te ly b e f o r e t h e a r r i v a l o f th e t r o o p s , t h i s te c h n iq u e
a l s o proved t o be o f no c o n seq u en ce.
w hich had so e f f e c t i v e l y
The n o n - im p o r ta tio n agreem ent
caused t h e r e p e a l of t h e Stamp Act i n 176 £,
f a i l e d t o e l i c i t th e n e c e s s a r y s u p p o r t iv e d i s s e n t in E n g lan d.
There now
rem ained no l e g a l avenues open to th e p a t r i o t s .
W hether Adams p o i n t e d t h i s o u t t o th e p u b l i c o r n o t , i t remained
obvious t h a t th e t r o o p s would s t a y .
f e v e r o f t h e c i t y had b een r i s i n g .
Through a l l th e s e schem es, th e
I t i s u n c l e a r i f t h i s was Adams'
17
Thomas H u tc h in so n , The H i s t o r y o f th e M a s s a c h u s e tts Bay Colony,
(Cam bridge: H arvard U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , l£j$3 e d . J , v o l . I l l , p . l 6 /j.
18
Cushing, The Writings o f C a m e l Adams, v o l . I I , p . 7 .
i n t e n t i o n o r i f he* j u s t as everyone e l s e , f e l t s u r p r i s e a t th e
f a i l u r e o f t h e . n o n - i m p o r t a t i o n agreem ent t o b r i n g a b o u t t h e e x p ected
en d .
P e r h a p s he had cu sh io n e d h i m s e l f in c a se o f 3uch a f a i l u r e .
John
Adams mused i n r e f e r e n c e t o t h i s p e r i o d :
E ndeavours had b e e n s y s t e m a t i c a l l y p u rsu ed f o r many
M onths, by c e r t a i n b usy C h a r a c t e r s , t o e x c i t e r u a r r e l l 3 ,
R en c o u n te rs and Combet? s i n g l e o r compound i n th e n i g h t
b etw een t h e I n h a b i t a n t s o f th e low er C la s s and th e C o l d i e r s ,
and a t a l l r i s q u e s t o i n k i n d l e an im m ortal h a t r e d between
th e m .19
Was Samuel Adams one o f th e ’’b u s y c h a r a c t e r s ” ?
^erhaps t h i s
q u e s t i o n can n e v e r be answ ered ; how ever, th e f o u r t h q u e s t i o n o f t h i s
s tu d y i s c l o s e l y t i e d i n t o h i s r o l e a s a ’’b u sy c h a r a c t e r . ”
By an exam­
i n a t i o n o f the l a r g e r q u e s t i o n , t h e s m a l l e r m ig h t be an sw ered .
Did Samuel Adams c o n t r o l th o s e groups p r e s e n t a t t h e scene o f th e
M assacre?
I t i s n e c e s s a r y f i r s t t o rev iew who p a r t i c i p a t e d i n th e
e v e n ts o f March 5>.
There were
p r e d o m in a te ly t h e ropew alk w orkers from
Samuel G r a y 's b u s i n e s s , young b o y s , c h i l d r e n from th e lo w er c l a s s e s , and
A
s a i l o r s , a l l o f whom p a r t o o k i n th e r i o t o u s b e h a v i o r . A ll o t h e r
i n d i v i d u a l s were m a in ly b y s t a n d e r s .
A ccording t o P a u l L ew is, th e ro p e-m ak ers were ” . . . a r d e n t Sons
20
o f L i b e r t y and Sam Adams's f o l l o w e r s . ”
M i l l e r d e s c r i b e d t h e ropew alk
w o rk e rs as ”a g r e 3 3 i v e ” and ’’r i o t o u s , ” and Samuel Gray as
. • one o f
19
J o h n Adams, A B iog raph y i n His Own Words, (New f o r k : H arper
and Row, P u b l i s h e r s , T nc. , 1973 e d . ) p . 17'/ •
20
P a u l L e w is, The Grand I n c e n d i a r y , (New York: The D i a l P r e s s ,
1 9 7 3 ), P . 107.
21
o f th e h a r d e s t b r a w l e r s . . .
i n B o s t o n . ,f
I f Gray and h i s a s s o c i a t e s
were indeed Sons o f L i b e r t y , and assum ing t h e y to o k o r d e r s from Adams,
th e n o b v i o u s l y t h i s p o r t i o n o f t h e r i o t e r s can be c l a s s i f i e d u n d e r h i s
ju risd ic tio n .
Assuming th e rope-m akers obeyed'Adams, i s i t l i k e l y t h a t
he " o r d e r e d " them t o s u b j e c t t h e i r l i v e s t o B r i t i s h b u l l e t s ?
The second d i s t i n c t i v e group p r e s e n t t h a t ev en in g was s e v e r a l
b o y s , r a n g in g i n age from seven t o s e v e n te e n .
young Hancocks o r Adams 1 p r e s e n t .
P resum ably t h e r e were no
These young men were t h e sons o f t h e
w h a rf w o r k e rs , th e lo w er c l a s s , th e same f a m i l i e s whose f a t h e r s , most
l i k e l y , Sam Adams had a s s o c i a t e d w i t h as a c h i l d and c o n tin u e d t o
22
m ingle w i th as an a d u l t .
A c c e p tin g a g a in t h a t A d am s,-throu gh
a s s o c i a t i o n , in f l u e n c e d t h i s g ro u p , i s i t l o g i c a l t h a t he d i r e c t e d
c h i l d r e n t o i n t i m i d a t e t h e s o l d i e r s t o th e p o i n t o f b lo o d s h e d .
The l a s t , most v o c a l g ro u p , th e s a i l o r s , fo llo w e d a l a r g e " m u la tto
C ria p u s A t t u c k s , " . . .
".
a v e te ra n of a score of r i o t s
. . ." a b o u t whom,
. • i t was common knowledge • . . t h a t i t was c h i e f l y h i s v i o l e n t
a s s a u l t s upon th e t r o o p s t h a t had caused b l o o d s h e d ."
A ttu c k s and h i s
n a v a l a s s o c i a t e s a r e g e n e r a l l y d e s c r i b e d as th e most obnoxious
i n d i v i d u a l s o f t h e mob.
T h is p a r t i c u l a r group had b een l e d i n b y a
?h
• m y s te rio u s f i g u r e in a red c o a t and w h ite w ig ."
C onspicuous
21
M i l l e r , P i o n e e r i n P ro p ag an d a, p p . 176 and 176.
22
F o r f u r t h e r r e f e r e n c e t o t h i s , see c h a p t e r t h r e e .
23
M i l l e r , P i o n e e r in P ro p a g a n d a , p . 180.
Jo hn C ary , J o s e p h W arren, (Urbana: U n i v e r s i t y o f I l l i n o i s P r e s s
1961 ) , p . 92.
a s t r i d e a h o r s e , t h i s s p e c t e r - l i k e f i g u r e o f f e r e d a h arang ue t o A ttu c k s
and h i s group b e f o r e th e y descended upon t h e s o l d i e r s .
Jo hn Cary
s u g g e s te d t h a t t h i s p o i n t s t o a p la n n e d e f f o r t on t h e p a r t o f t h e mob,
H e r b e r t A lla n im p lie d t h a t t h e man on h o rs e b a c k was W illia m M o lineux,
a s s i s t a n t t o Samuel Adams.
I f t h e s e i m p l i c a t i o n s a r e a c c e p t e d , A ttu c k s
can be l i n k e d d i r e c t l y t o Sam Adams w i t h M olineux a s th e go-betw een
in stig a to r.
C o n v e rs e ly , W illiam W ells i n t e r p r e t e d t h e r o l e o f th e r e d - c lo a k e d
man q u i t e d i f f e r e n t l y .
Whoever he w as, t h e i n f l u e n c e o f t h i s m y s te r io u s p e rso n a g e
was e x e r t e d t o d i s p e r s e th e p e o p le and r e s t o r e t h e D eace,
and n o t t o e x c i t e t h e p o p u lace as h a s b een R ep resen ted ., . •
h i s rem arks . . • were fo llo w e d by a sp ace o f s i l e n fc e .2 5
S u r e ly a h a ran g u e does n o t provoke ’’s p a c e s o f s i l e n c e ” . I t i s i n t e r e s t 26
in g t h a t d u r in g th e R ic h a rd s o n a f f a i r ,
M olineux s te p p e d i n to p r e v e n t
27
th e l y n c h in g o f R ic h a rd s o n .
I f W ells' i n t e r p r e t a t i o n i s a c c u ra te ,
and i f M olineux was t h e " m y s te rio u s p e r s o n a g e , " t h e n i t seems u n l i k e l y
t h a t he en couraged t h e i n t i m i d a t i o n o f th e s o l d i e r s t o t h e p o i n t o f
b lo o d s h e d .
I t a p p e a r s more r e a s o n a b l e t o assume t h a t A ttu c k s sim p ly
to o k m a t t e r i n t o h i s own h a n d s .
A d e f i n i t e answ er to q u e s t i o n f o u r , t h e r e f o r e , was n o t r e a c h e d .
W illiam W e lls , The L i f e and P u b l i c C e rv ic e s o f Samuel Adams,
(B o sto n : L i t t l e , Brown, and Company, 1 8 6 ^ ) , v o l . 1 , p . 313*
26
More d e t a i l e d d i s c u s s i o n on t h i s can be found in c h a p t e r f o u r .
27
Jo hn R. G a lv in , Three Men o f B o s to n , (Mew York: Thomas Y. C row ell
Company, 1 9 7 6 ), p . 19b*
R8
A m iddle ground i n t e r p r e t a t i o n p o i n t s t o a q u a l i f i e d r e s p o n s e :
Sam
Adams c e r t a i n l y i n f l u e n c e d many o f th o s e p r e s e n t on King S t r e e t , March
1770 , b u t t o w hat e x t e n t t h e i n f l u e n c e was f e l t i s u n c l e a r .
I f Adams d id in d eed p l a n th e M assacre, he must have b een r e l a t i v e l y
c e r t a i n t h a t t r o o p s would f i r e on th e mob.
V a rio u s q u o t a t i o n s already-
c i t e d p o i n t t o Adams’ co n cern o v e r p o s s i b l e abuse from th e s o l d i e r s ; b u t
o n ly r a r e l y d id he a c t u a l l y s a y o r im ply t h a t t h e t r o o p s would m urder
th e i n h a b i t a n t s . The c i t i z e n s a t t h e scen e assumed t h e s o l d i e r s would
26
never f i r e ,
and i f t h i s r e p r e s e n t e d a common b e l i e f , i t c a n n o t be
known what Adams f e l t .
H u tc h in so n re c o g n iz e d t h e p o t e n t i a l t h r e a t o f
th e s o l d i e r s f i r i n g when he d e s c r i b e d them as ” . * . such bad f e llo w s
i n t h a t r e g im e n t, t h a t i t seems im p o s s ib le t o r e s t r a i n them from f i r i n g
29
upon i n s u l t o r p r o v o c a t i o n g iv e n them ."
J o h n M i l l e r s u g g e s t s t h a t i f Adams had d o u b ts t h a t t h e s o l d i e r s
would f i r e , he g u a r a n te e d t h i s by p o s t i n g b r o a d s i d e s and n o t i c e s a few
days b e f o r e th e day o f th e M assacre which r e a d ,
T h is i s t o In fo rm y® R e b e ll i o u s P eop le i n P o s to n t h a t y®
S o l j e r s i n y® l h t h and 2 9 th R egim ents a r e d eterm in e d t o
j o i n e t o g e t h e r and defend th em selv es a g a i n s t a l l who s h a l l
Opose them.
Signd y® S o l j e r s o f y® l l i t h
and 2 9 t h R e g i m e n t s ^ ®
,
^
.
D is c u ss e d i n c h a p t e r f o u r .
29
M i l l e r , P i.o n e e r_ in P ro p ag an d a , p* 176, and F ro th in g h am , The L i f e
and Times o f J o s e p h W a rre n , p . 1 2 ? .
30
F ro th in g h am , The L i f e and Times o f J o se p h W arren, p . 1 2 3 .
M i l l e r co uld n o t p ro v e h i s a c c u s a t i o n , b u t he does p o i n t o u t t h a t th e
n o t i c e s were n o t used by t h e p r o s e c u t i o n a t t h e t r i a l o f t h e s o l d i e r s ,
Jo hn Adams spoke in r e f e r e n c e t o th e M assacre and o f f e r e d some
c r e d i b i l i t y to M il l e r ’s th e o ry ,
”1 s u s p e c t e d t h a t t h i s [ t h e Massacre"]
wa 3 t h e E x p lo s io n which had been w ro ug ht up by d e s ig n i n g Men, who knew
31
what t h e y were aim ing a t' . . . ”
Once a g a i n , an answ er t o t h i s q u e s t i o n would r e q u i r e a d e c i s i o n
b a s e d on u n c e r t a i n t i e s .
Knowing th o s e i n v o l v e d , s u r e l y Adams would n o t
have s e n t them i n t o ’’b a t t l e " v i r t u a l l y unarmed; however, he has been
' 3?
c h a r a c t e r i z e d as ” . . . d e l i b e r a t e , m e th o d ic a l, and u n y i e l d i n g , "
W hile " th e p u r i t y o f h i s m o tiv es was u n q u e s tio n e d . . . t h e u n s c r u p l o u s n e s s o f h i s m o tiv e s was n o r t o r i o u s , , . he co uld j u s t i f y d i s h o n o r a b le
33
means b y th e g l o r i o u s end—l i b e r t y , ”
By w eig hin g b o th th e p o s i t i v e and n e g a ti v e v ie w p o in ts on th e
v a r i o u s q u e s ti o n s posed i n t h i s s tu d y , a p p a r e n t l y Adams f e l t r e l a t i v e l y
c e r t a i n t h a t th e t r o o p s would f i r e , and he even to ok s t e p s t o s e c u re
th is p o s s ib ility .
R e a l i z i n g a l s o t h a t a l l l e g a l means o f r e d r e s s had
f a i l e d , and knowing t h a t he had th e s u p p o r t o f t h e g e n e r a l p o p u l a t i o n
who were armed and a n g ry a t th e t h r e a t t h e s o l d i e r s p r e s e n t e d , i t a p p e a r s
31
John A dam s,-# B iog raph y in His Own Words, p . 117,
32
T udor, The L i f e o f James O t i s , p . 276.
33
H e r b e r t A lla n , John Hancock, P a t r i o t i n P u r p l e , (New y o r k : The
B e e c h h u rs t P r e s s , 1 9 3 3 ), p , 129,
60
t h a t - M. . . b y
fa n n in g B o sto n ia n s*
h a t r e d o f t h e B r i t i s h t r o o p s , Adams
3h
s e t th e s ta g e f o r th e B o sto n M assacre
3k
M i l l e r , P io n eer in Propaganda, p . 17 6.
CHAPTER. V
PART I I
THE CASE OF SAMUEL ADAMS: GUILTY OR 'INNOCENT?
A COMMUNICATIVE PERSPECTIVE
P erh ap s a c l e a r e r view o f Samuel Adams * r o l e i n th e P o s to n M assacre
can be a c h ie v e d by e x a m in a tio n o f t h i s e v e n t i n a n o t h e r p e r s p e c t i v e .
Adams' r o l e as a change a g e n t sh ou ld o u t l i n e th ro u g h a com m unicative
a n a l y s i s o f i n t r a - g r o u p s and i n t e r - g r o u p s
th e p r o g r e s s i o n o f e v e n ts and
h e l p t o c l a r i f y th e im p act o f h i s i n f l u e n c e .
I n d e f i n i n g th e c o n c e p t o f change a g e n t , th e n o t i o n o f change must
be c l e a r .
Cordon L i p p i t t d e f i n e s change a s :
. . . some p e r c e p t i b l e d i f f e r e n c e i n a s i t u a t i o n , a
c i r c u m s t a n c e , a p e r s o n , a g ro u n , o r an o r g a n i z a t i o n betw een
some o r i g i n a l tim e and some l a t e r tim e . The e x p e r i e n c e s
d u r in g t h a t tim e p e r i o d need t o be p lan n ed so t h a t e i t h e r
th e speed o f change i s i n c r e a s e d or t h e n a t u r e of change
can be more e f f e c t i v e l y coped w ith b y th o s e i n v o l v e d . 3?
L i p p i t t c o n tin u e d h i s e x p l a n a t i o n o f th e p r o c e s s o f change w ith
more s p e c i f i c a p p l i c a t i o n .
I n t h e c a se o f Adams, L i p p i t t ’ s d e f i n i t i o n
o f h o m e o s ta tic change d i r e c t l y a p p l i e s :
H o m eo sta tic change i s a c o n s c io u s e f f o r t t h a t r e s u l t s i n
an im m e d ia te ly n o t i c e a b l e and m easu rab le e f f e c t . This k in d
o f change o c c u r s as a r e s p o n s e to some s p e c i f i c ' t r i g g e r i n g '
and i s r e f e r r e d t o as r e a c t i v e , im p ly in g t h a t i t i s
e s s e n t i a l l y a u to m a tic and i n s t i n c t i v e . H om eostasis i s th e
te n d e n c y shown by an organism o r s o c i a l system t o seek a
new b a la n c e whenever an e x i s t i n g s t a t e o f b a la n c e h a s b een
d i s t u r b e d . H o m eo sta tic change i s a r e a c t i o n t o any e x t e r n a l
s t i m u l i t h a t a f f e c t s t h e e x i s t i n g b a l a n c e o r e q u i l i b r i u m . 36
^
.
—
Gordon L i p p i t t , V i s u a l i z i n g Change, ( L a J o l la : U n i v e r s i t y
A s s o c i a t e s , I n c . , 1 9 7 3 ), p . 1 0 .
I b i d . , p . 36.
L i p p i t t goes on t o say t h a t h o m e o s ta tic change i n v o l v e s ,
• .
i n n e r - d i r e c t e d and o u t e r - d i r e c t e d a s p e c t s o f th e p l a n n i n g and im p le ' 37 '
m e n ta tio n • . • t h e r e i s a d e f i n i t e ach ievem ent g o a l * ”
W ith th e
c o n c e p t o f change c l a r i f i e d a s i t a p p l i e s to Samuel Adams and h i s r o l e
i n th e B oston M assacre, an u n d e r s t a n d in g o f the, c o n c e p tio n o f "change
a g e n t" i s n e c e s s a r y .
L i p p i t t s a i d , "A p e r s o n p l a n n i n g change • • •
needs t o r e c r u i t , s e l e c t and d ev elo p th o s e who work w ith him; t o p la n
p ro g ram s; t o s e t up a p r o c e s s o f c o o r d i n a t i o n and comm unication • . .
38
t o make p o s s i b l e change e f f o r t t h a t i s m ean in g fu l and l a s t i n g . "
A
change a g e n t m ight f in d i t n e c e s s a r y t o m a n ip u la te t h o s e he i s working
w ith *
" M a n ip u la tio n , h e r e , means t h e a c t o f a r r a n g i n g c o n d i t i o n s so
” '
39
t h a t change i n a c e r t a i n d i r e c t i o n may or w i l l t a k e p la c e * "
The
t h i r d a s p e c t o f th e change a g e n t r o l e w hich i s e s p e c i a l l y a p p l i c a b l e in
Adams 1 s i t u a t i o n i s t h a t o f c o n f r o n t a t i o n .
. . c o n f r o n t s p e o p le and s i t u a t i o n s
ho
a s i t u a t i o n . He a c t s . "
. . .
An e f f e c t i v e change a g e n t ,
he does n o t .lu s t r e a c t t o
L a s t l y , " . . . m ost change a g e n ts a p p ro ach each p ro b lem w ith
hi
p r e d e te rm in e d d i a g n o s t i c o r i e n t a t i o n . "
T h a t i s t o s a y , t h e y have
3 7 ---------------------------------
L i p p i t t , V i s u a 11 z i n g Cha n g c , p . hO.
38
I b i d . , p . 60.
39
I b id ., p. 66.
hO
I b i d . , p . 67 o
hi
I b i d . , p . 92.
a n a ly z e d th e s i t u a t i o n and t h e b e s t method o f ’’a t t a c k . "
In o rd er to
a r r i v e a t t h i s a n a l y s i s , a change a g e n t must " , . . b e a b l e t o a s s e s s
12
r e a l i s t i c a l l y h i s own m o t i v a t i o n s f o r g i v i n g h e l p . "
Adams had two
g o a ls i n mind; f i r s t , th e rem oval o f th e t r o o p s , and se c o n d , u l t i m a t e
in depend ence from E n g lan d.
These f o u r change a g e n t c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s - - r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , manipu­
l a t i o n , c o n f r o n t a t i o n , and m o t i v a t i o n — as a p p l i e d to Adams, sho uld make
l u c i d h i s r o l e i n the i n t r a - g r o u p p r o c e s s .
As shown i n F i g u r e 1 . , Adams had t h r e e m ajor i n t r a - g r o u p r o l e s :
f i r s t , he was i n th e r a d i c a l g ro u p , seco n d , he serv ed i n t h e
M a s s a c h u s e tts L e g i s l a t u r e , and t h i r d , he a s s o c i a t e d w i th th e p a t r i o t
le a d e rs.
F i r s t , Adams’ involvem ent, i n th e Eons o f l i b e r t y end t h e L oyal
Mine s u g g e s t t h a t he p e r c e i v e d h i s r o l e as a change a g e n t t o d i r e c t
t h e i r actio n " . . .
tow ard a p a r t i c u l a r s t a t e o f a f f a i r s t h a t w i l l le a d
U3
t o a m ajor g o a l on th e p a r t o f an i n d i v i d u a l , g ro u p , o r o r g a n i z a t i o n . ”
Th.e e v id e n c e s u p n o r ti n g t h i s can be e a s i l y seen i n th e V a r io u s a c t i o n s
uu
ta k e n by t h e s e g r o u p s .
Adams, as t h e i r l e a d e r and a s a change a g e n t ,
encouraged th e s e a c t i o n s i n o r d e r t o r e a c h a g o a l —th e rem oval o** th e
tro o p s.
W ith in t h e group o f l e g i s l a t o r s , Adams as th e change a g e n t i n
:
—
L i p p i t t , V i s u a l i z i n g Change, p . 6 2 .
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MOUTHPEICES
ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL OF THE IHTRA-GROTTP. RELATIONSHIPS
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*5t h i s sy stem m a in ta in e d a s t a b l e p o s i t i o n , t h e c l e r k , which a c c o r d in g t o
L ip p itt, ” . . .
becomes [^a~j p o w e r fu l Q ieterm inaniQ o f b e h a v i o r w i t h i n
h$
th e o r g a n i z a t i o n . ”
Through t h i s p o w erfu l p o s i t i o n , Adams was a b l e t o
c o n t r o l o r e l i m i n a t e n e g a tiv e i n p u t th u s making h i s change more
.a c c e p ta b le w i th i n t h i s g ro u p .
Adams' t h i r d i n t r a - g r o u p in v o lv e m e n t was w ith th e l e a d e r s o f th e
p a t r i o t movement.
Adams’ a s s o c i a t i o n w ith t h e s e i n d i v i d u a l s f i r s t
Jt-6
in v o lv e d " w in n in g ” them o v e r t o h i s own p o i n t o f v ie w .
" C irc u la tio n
o f i d e a s t o t h e e l i t e b u i l d s on th e sim o le id e a o f i n f l u e n c i n g change
hi
by g e t t i n g t o th e p e o p le w ith th e power on I n f l u e n c e . "
Once o b t a i n i n g
t h i s support " . • . a
)j8
implemented • • . ”
s t r a t e g i c r o l e i s n e c e s s a r y f o r i d e a s t o be.
Adam's u se of t h e s e "p eo p le w i th power" a s s e r t e d
i t s e l f i n t h e i r r e p r e s e n t a t i o n s o f b e l i e f i n th e c a u s e .
By a s s o c i a t i o n ,
o r th ro u g h sp e e c h e s and a r t i c l e s , t h e s e i n f l u e n t i a l p e r s o n s o f f e r e d th e
n eed ed s u p p o r t f o r th e change a g e n t and h i s u l t i m a t e g o a l s .
Through Adam’ s p a r t i n i n t r a - g r o u p s , he a f f e c t e d t h e a s s o c i a t i o n s
betw een g ro u p s , o r i n t e r - g r o u p s r e l a t i o n s h i p s .
R e f l e c t i n g on th e f i v e
q u e s t i o n s asked a t th e b e g in n in g o f t h i s c h a p t e r , a l o o k a t t h e w o rkin gs
o f th e i n t e r - g r o u p p r o c e s s m ig h t h e lp c l a r i f y th e p r o g r e s s i o n o f e v e n t s .
u s --------------------------L i p p i t t , V i s u a l i z i n g Change, p p . I16— .
h6
These r e l a t i o n s h i p s a r e d is c u s s e d i n c h a p t e r tw o.
hi
L i p p i t t , V i s u a l i z i n g Change, p .
hQ
I b id ., p.
SYMBOLS i-'OR MODELS
RECTANGLE
Represents an entity;
relative value
CIRCLE
represents
Represents commonality; i.e.,
shared functions, attitudes, skills,
values, environment
TRIANGLE
Represents focus of focal point;
convergence of change factors
i.e.
Represents direction of flow
or
_______ ■
SOLID LINE:
Represents direct connec­
tion; i.e., authority, influence, fusi
VVVVVVWVVVV
Non-concurency: i.e., direct or passiv
resistance, disagreement, rebellion
Concurrency;
i.e., direct or passive
agreement, assistance, support
Gordon Lippitt, Visualizing Change, (LaJolla-:
University Associates, Inc., 1973), p. 90.
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68
F i r s t , a s can b e e n seen i n F ig u re 2 . , t h e r e were s i x p red o m in a n t
g ro u p s in v o lv e d :
t h e s o l d i e r s , th e F n g l i s h governm ent, th e c i t i z e n s o f
B o s to n , th e r a d i c a l g r o u p s , th e p a t r i o t l e a d e r s , and th e M a s s a c h u s e tts
L e g is la tu re .
(The r a d i c a l g ro up s and t h e c i t i z e n s grou ps o v e r l a p . )
The f i r s t q u e s t i o n asked i n t h i s s tu d y p e p t a i n e d t o Adams1
in v o lv e m e n t i n arming th e c i t i z e n s .
in te r-g ro u p r e l a t io n s h i p s .
T h is i s s u e can be a n a ly z e d i n two
Through v a r i o u s a r t i c l e s i n new spapers
w r i t t e n b y p a t r i o t l e a d e r s , i n c l u d i n g Adams, c i t i z e n s were a d v ise d t o
arm th e m se lv e s a g a i n s t t h e s o l d i e r s .
The r a d i c a l g ro u p s i n f l u e n c e d th e
c i t i z e n s by s e t t i n g the example o f c a r r y i n g weapons and b y making
a p p a r e n t th e n e c e s s i t y o f do in g s o .
F ig u re 3
d e p i c t s .th e flow o f
i n f l u e n c e betw een groups on t h i s q u e s ti o n
f C a rry 1
Weapons
CITIZENS
RADICAL
GROUPS
LEADERS
\
Figure 3 .
The secon d q u e s t io n , th e t h r e a t o f th e t r o o p s , in c lu d e d f i v e o f
th e s i x grou p s*
A d a m s, a s a l e a d e r , p r e s e n t e d t h e s o l d i e r s t h r o u g h t h e
m ed ia a s a t r u e t h r e a t t o t h e c i t i z e n s .
He a l s o c h a r a c t e r i z e d
them
i n t h i s m an n er t o t h e g o v e r n m e n t and t o t h e s o l d i e r s t h e m s e l v e s .
r a d i c a l g r o u p s s u p p o r t e d t h i s m ove t h r o u g h i t s i n f l u e n c e
w ith th e c i t i z e n s .
F ig u r e U p ic t u r e s t h i s a n a l y s i s .
W ord
RADICAL
M o u th
GROUPS
The
(w ord o f m o u th )
C IT IZ E N S
ENGLISH
.GOVERN! MFNT
M ed ia
LEADERS
OLDIERS
F ig u r e h .
I
I
■■■■■ni I
tro o p X
Xas t h r e a t \
70
The t h i r d q u e s t i o n , th e f a i l u r e of l e g a l means l e a d i n g t o v i o l e n c e ,
i n v o l v e s two g ro u p s: th e l e g i s l a t u r e and th e E n g lis h Government.
The
M a s s a c h u s e tts Assembly made f o u r a t t e m p t s a t l e g a l r e d r e s s b e f o r e employ­
in g o r e n c o u ra g in g v i o l e n c e .
T his was an e n t i r e l y one d i r e c t i o n a l
p r o c e s s 'as can be s e e n i n F ig u re 5>.
!
ENGLISH
GOVERN­
MENT
v io len ce
F ig u re
The f o u r t h q u e s t i o n concerned th e c o n t r o l o f th e f a c t i o n s p r e s e n t
a t th e M a ss a c re .
Three gro up s d i r e c t l y i n t e r a c t e d i n t h i s a n a l y s i s :
t h e r a d i c a l s , th e l e a d e r s , and th e c i t i z e n s .
The r a d i c a l g ro u p , a
segment o f t h e s o c i e t y r a t h e r th a n a s e p a r a t e e n t i t y ( t h e r e was an
i n t e r d e p e n d e n t r e l a t i o n s h i p betw een th e tw o ) , was h i g h l y i n f l u e n c e d by
th e l e a d e r s , who, l e d b y Adams, ad v o cated v i o l e n c e .
F ig u r e 6 .
T h is i s d e p ic te d i n
71
LEADERS
ADAMS
v io len ce
CITIZENS
RAD.
ROUP
3 Air.OR.Si — I ROYS
ROPE
worker;
F ig u r e 6
The l a s t a re a o f i n q u i r y c o n s id e r e d t h e l i k e l i h o o d o f th e t r o o p s
f i r i n g upon th e c i t i z e n s .
F iv e g rou ps p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t h i s a n a l y s i s ,
b u t th e a n a l y s i s f o llo w s a cau se and e f f e c t r e l a t i o n s h i p .
F i r s t , th e
l e a d e r s th ro u g h t h e m edia, had made th e t r o o p s o u t as h i g h l y dangerous*
The r a d i c a l groups im plemented t h i s image by p ro v o k in g v i o l e n t s i t u a t i o n s .
The c i t i z e n s p la y e d a lo n g b y r e f u s i n g t o accomodate t h e s o l d i e r s i n any
manner w h a ts o e v e r .
The s o l d i e r s , a n g ry a t t h i s a b u s iv e t r e a t m e n t , evoked
b e h a v io r s i m i l a r t o th e r a d i c a l g r o u p s .
And l a s t l y , th e governm ent
o f f i c i a l s even r e c o g n iz e d t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f t h e t r o o p s f i r i n g upon th e
c itiz e n ry *
F ig u re 7 p i c t u r e s t h i s a n a ly s is *
12
SOLDIERS
V io le n c e
C IT IZ E N S
P h y sic a l
ab u se
RADICAL
GROUPS
N e g a tiv e b eh a v io r ;
refu sed to a s s o c ia t e
LEADERS
C reated b r a w ls
R e c o g n iz e d th e
p o te n tia l o f danger
U sed t h e m ed ia t o
m ake t h e t r o o p s o u t
as a th reat
Figure 7 .
73
S a m u el A dam s’ i n f l u e n c e on e a c h o f t h e f i v e q u e s t i o n s h a s b e e n
d e p ic te d th r o u g h o u t th e s e m o d e ls.
C l e a r l y e a c h d ia g r a m seem ed t o le a d
d i r e c t l y o r i n d i r e c t l y t o v i o l e n c e w i t h t h e c h a n g e a g e n t , S a m u e l A d a m s,
p r e se n t in a l l s itu a tio n s in flu e n c in g th e M assacre,
T h e c a s e o f S a m u e l A dam s, a c c u s e d o f c o n s p i r a c y t o c a u s e t h e B o s t o n
M assacre, has been p r e s e n te d «
o b liv io u s
He w a s a l e a d e r o f m e n , d e e p l y r e l i g i o u s ,
t o w e a lt h , d e d ic a t e d t o a cau se-— fr e e d o m .
T h ese w ere th e
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f S a m u e l Adams o f f e r e d t h r o u g h o u t t h i s r e s e a r c h .
T h e a u t h o r o f t h i s s t u d y r e l u c t a n t l y f o u n d A d am s g u i l t y o f
c o n s p i r a c y , a v e r d i c t b a s e d on tw o p e r s p e c t i v e s , h i s t o r i c a l and
c o m m u n ic a tiv e .
Y e t t h e i n i t i a l q u e s t i o n h a s rem a in ed u n a n sw ere d i n p a r t .
W h i l e i t a p p e a r s t h a t A dam s d i d i n d e e d i n f l u e n c e t h e e v e n t s l e a d i n g t o
t h e M a s s a c r e , c a u s i n g th em t o b e m ore p r o n o u n c e d , i t
r e m a in s u n c e r t a i n
th a t he p o in te d ly ordered b lo o d sh e d .
I n o r d e r t o e s t a b l i s h o r p r o v e p r e m e d i t a t i o n i t w o u ld b e n e c e s s a r y
t o e s t a b l i s h b o t h c a u s a l r e l a t i o n and p r i o r p l a n n i n g .
p la n th e M assacre d i r e c t l y ,
even t?
As s t a t e d
D i d S a m u e l Adam s
or d id h is a c t io n s i n d i r e c t l y c a u se th e
ab ove, th e e v id e n c e o ffe r e d
su p p ort t o c a u sa tio n b u t
not to p r e m e d ita tio n .
W ith t h e s e t h o u g h t s in m in d , c o n s i d e r t h e f i n d i n g s from c h a p t e r
t h r e e w h ic h d id n o t o f f e r s u p p o r t f o r th e c o n c e p t o f a v i o l e n t m an.
C o n sid e r n e x t , th e c o n c lu s io n s o f 'th e l a s t c h a p te r .
The i n d i v i d u a l s
p r e s e n t a t th e sc en e o f th e M assacre w ere c o n sid e r e d g u i l t y o f
i n s t ig a t in g th e r i o t .
L a s t l y , th e f o u r th c h a p te r p r o v id e d e v id e n c e
w h i c h s e e m e d t o m ak e a p p a r e n t t h a t w h a t o c c u r r e d w a s u n c o n t r o l l e d a n d
u n c o n t r o l l a b l e mob a c t i o n .
I f Samuel Adana i s t o be found g u i l t y o f a n y t h in g , i t sh ou ld be
h i s f a i l u r e to f o r s e e b lo o d s h e d .
He must be found i n n o c e n t , how ever,
o f a p r e m e d ita te d p l a n t o cau se m u rd er.
His u n y i e l d i n g d e d i c a t i o n t o
American independence w a r r a n t s th e c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n o f Adams as t h e
" f a t h e r o f the R e v o l u t i o n . ”
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A ll a n , H e r b e r t . Jo h n Hancock., P a t r i o t i n P u r p l e .
B e e c h h u rs t P r e s s , 195>3.
B a rc k , O scar T.
1968
.
C o l o n i a l -ftm e r ic a .
New York:
New York:
The
The M acM illian Company,
,
Bowdin, Jam es. O r i g i n a l N a r r a t i v e o f t h e B oston M a s s a c re . .B o sto n :
C o rn e r House P u b l i s h e r s , 1770.
B u t t e r f i e l d , L .H . ( e d . ) D ia r y and A u tobiography o f Jo h n Adams. Ii v o l s .
Cambridge: The Belknop P r e s s o f h a r v a rd U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1 9 6 1 .
C a n f i e l d , C a s s . Samuel Adams’ s R e v o l u t i o n .
P u b l i s h e r s , 1976.
C ary , J o h n .
J o s e p h W arren .
U rbana:
New v o r k :
U n i v e r s i t y o f I l l i n o i s P r e s s , 1969.
C ush ing , H arry A, The W r i ti n g s o f Samuel Adams.
Books I n c . , 1968 e d .
Hew York:
Octapron
W arren .
P o sto n :
F ro th in g h am , R i c h a r d .
L i t t l e , Brown, h
The L i f e and Times o f J o se p h
Company, 1 86 5.
'
G a lv in , Jo hn R.
1976
Ken o f B o s to n . HewYork: Thomas
H ansen, H a rry .
1970.
Three
The B oston M a ss a c re .
H arp er Ac. B.ow,
New York:
7 # C r o w e ll,
H a s tin g s House pu b . ,
H arlow , R a lp h . Samuel A dam s--Promoter o f th e American R e v o l u t i o n .
New York: Henry H o lt and Company, 1923*
Hosmer, Jam es. American S ta te s m a n —Samuel p-dams.
M i f f l i n and Company, 1885*
B o ston :
u o u g h to n ,
H u tc h in s o n , Thomas. The H i s t o r y o f th e M a s s a c h u s e tts Bay C olony.
Cambridge: H arvard U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1933*
L e w is, P a u l .
The Grand I n c e n d i a r y .
L i p p i t t , Gordon. V i s u a l i z i n g Change.
I n c . , 1973.
New York:
L a Jo lla :
3 v o ls
The D i a l P r e s s , 1973*
U n iv e rsity A sso ciates,
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