No chronicle of American history would be complete without the saga of the Adams family, one of our nation’s most distinguished clans. Told in chronological order, their story begins with Samuel Adams, one of the “radicals” of the American Revolution. Although he began as a brewer, Sam Adams soon found that his true calling was politics. As a founder of the Committees of Correspondence, Adams sought to ignite the colonists’ passion for self-rule.
Although more moderate, John Adams, Sam Adams’ cousin, was also a founder of the Committees of Correspondence. Like his cousin, John Adams believed that the committees could foster unity among the colonists by keeping them informed about political events in each of the colonies, thus becoming a “great political engine,” moving the colonies closer toward liberty. When asked some years later about the meaning of the American Revolution, John Adams replied that there really had been two revolutions. One was the war itself. The other “was in the minds and hearts of the people.” Indeed, by the end of the war, Adams, like many Americans, would desire not only independence but also a chance to form a new kind of government. As our nation’s first Vice President and second President, John Adams would get his chance.
John Adams’ son, John Quincy Adams, would also have an opportunity to make his mark in government. The younger Adams held many governmental posts and was our nation’s sixth President.
Few families in American history are as revered as the Adams family. As the builders of a new nation, this family did, in the words of John Adams, “something notable and striking” that would be remembered.