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GED Social Studies 1.1 Civics and Government
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Samuel Adams 7394 Views
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Description:
Many things can be argued about old Samuel Adams, but he was indisputably one of the biggest driving forces behind the American Revolution.
Transcript
- 00:07
Samuel Adams, a la Shmoop.
- 00:12
There are a handful of early Americans whose names are still known by everyone.
- 00:16
One of these was the controversial Samuel Adams.
- 00:20
But why was Adams so controversial?
- 00:22
Is it just because of his beer? Not that you would know anything about it…
Full Transcript
- 00:26
Good ol’ Samuel was often in the company of his cousin, John Adams.
- 00:30
They were usually called the “Adams Brothers,”
- 00:32
mainly because people misunderstood how to read family trees.
- 00:36
While he was a good politician, Sam was not the world’s greatest businessman…
- 00:40
…and, ironically, a bad brewer.
- 00:43
He started his career as a tax collector for the Brits…
- 00:46
…but used the job as a way to expose British corruption.
- 00:49
Knowing all the movers and shakers in Boston, he got elected to the Massachusetts Assembly in 1765.
- 00:55
It was there that he was the first person to propose the idea for the Continental Congress.
- 01:01
When the Congress formed, Sammy was one of its first members…
- 01:04
…and became a fiery advocate for rebellion.
- 01:07
He pushed the Congress into issuing a pretty important document.
- 01:10
Maybe you’ve heard of it.
- 01:11
He also pushed for the formation of the United States as a Republic.
- 01:15
He even helped write “The Articles of Confederation”, a prequel to the Constitution.
- 01:20
Even with all the positive things Adams did, he’s a controversial figure today.
- 01:24
Some historians believe he was a forward thinking patriot.
- 01:28
To others, he was a rabble-rouser who used propaganda to push people to violence.
- 01:34
What do you think? Was Adams ahead of the curve?
- 01:36
Or did he just like pulling people’s strings?
- 01:38
Shmoop amongst yourselves.
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