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How Samuel Adams Set a Brush Fire in the Minds of the People

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“It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds.” This is a quote from Samuel Adams. He truly lived his life according to this statement. Adams spent his life as part of the irate, tireless minority, and as he would put it, he set many brush fires in people’s minds. As the leader of the Sons of Liberty, a patriotic rebel group, he convinced many people to stand against British rule. He knew that he did not need as many people as the British; he just needed a group of bold and risky people to stand firm in their beliefs. Born on September 27, 1722 to Samuel and Mary Adams in Boston, Massachusetts, Samuel Adams had a promising future. His family was wealthy and respected church members. As a teenager, he attended Boston Latin School and Harvard. At one point, his family lost much of their money and Adams had to work as a waiter. This helped him better understand the less wealthy people in Boston. He knew how high taxes could affect the income of an average family. This could have inspired him to become a patriotic leader, instead of the church leader that his father wanted him to be. Even though Adams was not a deacon or minister, he still held on to his Puritan beliefs he was raised with. Adams tried to be a businessman in his early life, but quickly found that business was not his talent. In 1765, he was elected to the Massachusetts Assembly, where he served as a clerk for seven

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