Ralph Harlow's Book "Samuel Adams"

Paper Summary:

This paper summarizes, analyzes and reviews the book "Samuel Adams", noting that the book is more of a history of the American Revolution than a biography of the political figure after whom the book is named. After discussing the book, the paper concludes that what Ralph Harlow wrote in "Samuel Adams" was, in reality, a theory of the American Revolution and had very little to do with the actual life of Samuel Adams.

From the Paper:

"Having given a token background for the purpose of being able to style his work as a biography, Harlow then proceeds to give a far more comprehensive explanation of the early roots of the Revolution, his real topic. He claims that the first radicals were not at Anti-British at all, but were instead a group rising from the merchant class to attack specific bills without any desire to challenge the entire system that benefited them greatly. These people were far more concerned with local politics than with nationalism. However, it often suited the Otis party, as the radicals were originally called, to cause trouble for the governor, who had elected Thomas Hutchinson, their most bitter rival locally, to a position in the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, even though the governor's predecessor had originally promised the job to one of their own members."

More papers on Ralph Harlow's Book "Samuel Adams":

• Book Review # 102982 : "Samuel Adams: America's Revolutionary Politician"
• Term Paper # 149465 : "Samuel Adams' "The Rights of the Colonists"
• Essay # 63695 : "Samuel Adams Beer"

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