托福写作素材之名人篇.docx
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托福写作素材之名人篇.docx
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托福写作素材之名人篇
SamuelAdams
Revolutionaryleader
TheFamousAdams.WhenJohnAdamsarrivedinFrancein1778,hewasgreetedwithapersistentquestion:
washe“lefameauxAdams?
”JohnAdamsoftenbristledattheattentionpaidtoothersinthePatriotcause,suchasJamesOtis,GeorgeWashington,andThomasJefferson.Butin1778heacknowledgedthathewasnotthefamousAdams;thatwashiscousin,Samuel,leaderoftheMassachusettsPatriots,andtheonlyAmericanwhomKingGeorgeIIIexemptedfromapromiseofamnesty.“IftheAmericanRevolutionwasablessing,andnotacurse,”JohnAdamswrotelater,“thenameandcharacterofSamuelAdamsoughttobepreserved.Itwillbearastrictandcriticalexaminationevenbytheinveteratemaliceofhisenemies....Hismeritsandservicesandsacrificesandsufferingarebeyondallcalculation.”
Education.SamuelAdamswasborninBostonon27September1722.Hisfather,Samuel,asuccessfulbrewer,hadservedasadeaconofboththeOldSouthChurchandNewSouthChurchandasaBostonselectmanandrepresentativetotheassembly.Samuel’smother,Mary,wasdeeplyreligious,influencedbythepreachingofJonathanEdwards.Onlythreeoftheirtwelvechildrensurvivedinfancy.Samuelandhissisterandbrotherwerekeptawayfromtheinfluenceofotherchildren,insteadinstilledwithdeepfeelingsofpersonalresponsiblityandisolation.AttheageoffourteenSamuelenteredHarvard.Withclassrankdeterminedbyafamily’ssocialposition,hewasrankedfifthinaclassoftwenty-two.Atgraduation(1740)hewontheclassdebateonthesubjectofliberty,andin1743hewasawardedamaster’sdegreeforhisthesis“WhetherItBeLawfulToResistTheSupremeMagistrate,IfTheCommonwealthCannotBeOtherwisePreserved.”
EntrancetoPublicLife.Adamsstudiedforthebarbrieflyandthenwentintobusiness.Hewasnotagoodbusinessman,andhequicklywentbankrupt.HisfatherpaidoffhisdebtsandestablishedSamuelasthemanagerofthebrewery,whichhadgrownsosuccessfulitneededlittlemanagement.Fatherandsonnowhadmoretimetodevotetopolitics.In1746GovernorShirleyvetoedtheseniorAdams’sappointmenttotheGovernor’sCouncil,elevatingAndrewOliverinstead.YoungSamuelregardedthisasaninsult,andon4June1746hewaselectedbyaspecialtownmeetingtofillOliver’sseatintheassembly.InhisannualreportShirleyreportedtothekingthattheelderAdams,whomhesaidwasagentlemanofgreatability,wasdisgruntledbythevetoofhisappointment,buttheyoungerAdams’s“indefatigablezeal”madehimmoredangerous.
PoliticalCareer.InJanuary1748Adamslaunchedanewspaper,theIndependentAdvertiser,whichhewouldpublishuntilBritishauthoritiesshutitdownin1775.TheAdvertiserwasdevotedentirelytopolitics,andSamuelAdamswrotemostofthematerial,includingtheletterstotheeditor.Hispoliticalpositionfromthe1740stothe1770sremainedconsistent:
Massachusetts,oranypoliticalsociety,shouldbefreetogovernitself.Thesepoliticalessaysattractedfewreaders,andtheAdvertiserneverhadawidecirculation.Hisfather’ssuddendeathinMarch1748leftSamuelAdamsresponsibleforthefamilybreweryandotherinterests,andhisbrotherandbrother-in-law,betterbusinessmen,handledmostofthefinancialaffairs.Politicalactivitypaidlittle,andSamuelAdamswasnotattentivetothebusinesseshisfatherhadlefthim.Adamsspentmostofhistimetalking,eitherwithmembersoftheCaucusClub,theleadersofBoston’sbusinessandpoliticalcommunities,orwiththesailorsandlongshoremenwhospentlonghoursinwaterfronttaverns.Adamswouldforgeteverythingwhenhehadachancetotalkpolitics,butiftheconversationveeredinanotherdirection,Adamswouldleaveindisgust.In1749hemarriedMaryCheckley,thedaughteroftheNewSouthpastor,withwhomhehadfivechildren,twoofwhomsurvivedinfancy.PoliticsconsumedSamuelAdams,andneitherfamilynorbusinesscoulddistracthim.ThechildrenespeciallysufferedwhenMaryCheckleyAdamsdiedfromafeverin1757.
PoliticalPassion.Whenhisfatherdied,AdamshadbeenelectedtotheCaucusClub,apoliticalgroupwhosememberswereabletodominatetheBostontownmeeting.Becausefewmenhadthetimetopaycloseattentiontocivicaffairs,andfewwerewillingtodevotethehoursnecessarytoattendingsuchmeetings,ahandfuloforganizedmenwereabletocontrolthetownmeeting.In1753thetownmeetingelectedSamuelanassessor,andin1756hewasaBostontaxcollector;butAdamswassolaxincollectingtaxesthatin1758thesheriffgavenoticethaton5Augusthisproperty,includinghishouseandgardens,thebrewery,awharf,andseveralapartmentbuildings,wouldbeauctionedofftopayAdams’soutstandingdebts.ThedayoftheauctionAdamsrespondedwithapubliclettertothesheriff,threateningtosueanyonewhotookhisproperty.Heandthesheriffconductedanewspaperargumentovertheauction,whichnevertookplace.By1765,whenhewasfinallyremovedastaxcollector,hehadfailedtocollectmorethan£8,000thatwasowedbyhisfellowcitizens.
BreachwithEngland.ThoughAdamsdevotedhimselfalmostcompletelytopolitics,hiscareerby1764hadtakenhimnowhere.Hewasindebt;thehouseandbusinesseshisfatherhadlefthimwereinruins;andheseemednottheleastconcerned.In1764hemarriedElizabethWells,whowastwentyyearshisjunior.Theywouldhavenochildren,butElizabethwouldbecomeresponsibleforthecareofhissonanddaughter.AlongwithJamesOtisandJohnHancock,AdamswasoneoftheleadersofthegroupopposedtoThomasHutchinson,butHutchinsoncontinuedtoriseinpowerwhileAdams,Otis,andHancockwereshutout.TheSugarAct,though,changedthis.HutchinsonopposedtheSugarAct,butmerelybecauseitwasunwise.ForAdamstheSugarActraisedthesameissuehehadbeenwritingaboutfortwentyyears:
therightofthepeopleofMassachusettstogovernthemselves.Adams’slongdaysandnightsinpoliticalgatheringshadalsogivenhimanewoutlookonpolitics.MostopponentsoftheSugarAct,wealthymerchants,expressedoppositioninletterstomenofinfluenceinEngland.ForAdamspoliticalactionmeantsomethingmoredramaticthanwritingletters.Hewouldusemassprotestsagainstthepoliticalestablishment,usingpublicopinion,ratherthanprivateintrigue,tomakepolicy.ParliamentrepealedtheSugarActbeforeAdamscouldcompletelybringhispoliticaltheoriesintopractice,andevenhisalliesbelievedhehadtriedtocarrythingstoofar.
StampActandAftermath.Butin1765,whenParliamentpassedtheStampAct,Adamswaspreparedwithacampaignofmassivepublicresistance.Abletomobilizeboththemerchanteliteandthemenofthelowerorders,abletoarticulatethecausewithbothpassionandeloquence,Adamsbecametheleaderofresistance.HewaselectedtotheassemblyinSeptemberandpreparedboththeHouse’sanswerstothegovernor’sspeechandresolutionsassertingAmericanrights.In1766theradicalfactionthatlookedtoAdamsasaleadertookcontroloftheassembly,andfrom1766untilGeneralGagedissolvedtheassemblyin1774,Adamswasitsclerk.AdamsusedhispositionasspokesmanfortheHousetoharasseveryBritishofficialsenttotheprovince.Thecolonialassemblies,Adamsinsisted,werenotsubjecttoParliament.ThecolonialassemblieshadtheexclusivepowertoguaranteethenaturalandconstitutionalrightsofAmericans.Theseprincipals,Adamsinsisted,restedontheBritishConstitution,whichwasnot,asEnglishpracticemadeit,subjecttoParliamentarywhim;instead,accordingtoAdams,theBritishConstitutionembodiedtheinherentandinalienablenaturalrightsofmen,whichnolegislativebodycouldlimit.
CommitteesofCorrespondence.In1770theassemblyappointedacommitteeofcorrespondence,ofwhichAdamswasamember,tokeepincontactwithothercolonies.In1772Adams,asleaderofBoston’stownmeeting,movedthatthetownappointacommitteeofcorrespondenceto“statetherightsoftheColonists...asmen,asChristians,andasSubjects;andtocommunicatethesametotheseveraltownsandtotheworld.”Adamsdrafteditsdeclarationandprivatelyurgedothertownstoformsimilarcommittees.WhentheBritishgovernmentinMassachusettscollapsedfollowingtheBostonTeaParty,thesecommitteesbecametheprovince’snewgovernment.WhentheBritishgovernmentclosedtheportofBoston,AdamscalledforanintercolonialCongresstouniteallthecoloniesinoppositiontoBritishpolicy.AdamswaschosentothefirstContinentalCongress,andhemayhavebeentheonlydelegatealreadythinkingofindependence.BeforeheleftforPhiladelphia,friendsprovidedhimwithnewclothesandawig;whilehewasgone,otherlocalsupportersbuiltanewbarnandrepairedhisdilapidatedhouse.AdamsrefrainedfromanactivepartinCongress’sdebates,butheusedhisinfluenceinsmallinformalmeetings,successfullyconvincingthedelegatestoadoptthemilitantSuffolkResolvesandrepudiateJosephGalloway’splanforacolonialunionunderParliamentaryrule.ReturningtoMassachusetts,AdamsnarrowlyescapedarrestwhenGage’sforcesattackedLexingtonandConcord,andin1776hereturnedtoCongresspubliclyadvocatingindependence.HesignedtheDeclarationandcontinuedtoserveinCongressuntil1781.
CoveringhisTracks.HiscousinJohnwasthegreatspeakerandpublicorganizer;butSamuelAdamswastheinfluentialfigurebehindthescenes.Assuch,itishardertotraceallofhisinfluence,butAdamsisvisibleintheresults.Thecommitteesofcorrespondencehadoperatedwithalargedegreeofsecrecy;theplanningfortheBostonTeaPartyalsohadtobedonewithgreatdiscreti
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