A devout man of faith and a successful businessman, Deacon Adams was a pillar of Boston society. Thomas Hancock supplied Adams with the finest quality molasses from the West Indies, and Adams distilled, according to Samuel Adams biographer Paul Lewis, “the best rum found anywhere in North America.” Ironically, Mary Adams did not allow any of her husband’s creation to be consumed in their household. She and her husband were active Congregationalists, and her Christian faith in particular was highly esteemed in the community. A fervent disciple of the Reverend Jonathan Edwards, Mary Adams even conducted worship services in their house on Purchase Street.
Deacon Adams, along with his good friend Thomas Hancock, dominated the local organization known as the Caucus Club. The Club was a highly effective political machine, which basically controlled Boston area elections. Adams himself served in numerous elective offices, including as justice of the peace, alderman, and as a member of the Massachusetts House of Assembly. According to Lewis, the elder Adams was “one of the most influential men in Boston, a man in a position to do political favors for friends and associates.”
Due to the high infant mortality rate, only three of the Adams children survived. Among the three was Samuel Adams. Born into such a socially respected, politically powerful, and financially blessed family, Samuel Adams could look forward to a life of comfort and prosperity.
His education fell largely to his mother, who used discipline and biblical instruction to prepare Samuel for his future. At the age of two, he could recite the Lord’s Prayer. He was rocked to sleep with his mother softly singing hymns. Samuel would learn the alphabet by daily reading the Bible, and by his teenage years, was quite familiar with some of the deep theological issues of the day. He was allowed to play in the family’s garden, but forbidden to eat of the fruit. His religious education was indeed thorough and comprehensive.
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