"Samuel Adams: America's Revolutionary Politician"

Paper Summary:

This paper briefly reviews John K. Alexander's book, "Samuel Adams: America's Revolutionary Politician." It illuminates Alexander's thesis and explores the evidence presented by John K. Alexander in his work. The paper suggests that Alexander's work is not objective enough to be an invaluable resource, however it commends the number of sources that are used and suggests that the book is well written.

From the Paper:

"There are two other items of considerable interest which must be discussed when examining Alexander's work: his use of resources and his ability to contextualize the characters he discusses. To begin with the former, a quick glance at the selected bibliography found at the back of the book indicates an impressive mix of primary and secondary resources. In that regard, Alexander has made a concerted effort to review as much of the material available on the life and times of Samuel Adams, as possible - albeit the way in which this material has been used is an open question. Proceeding further, Alexander has done a commendable job of placing Adams and other principals within the proper historical context; to wit, whenever quoting eighteenth century correspondence, every effort is undertaken to adhere to the grammatical and spelling conventions of Adams' time, and Alexander also sees to it that those contemporaries of Adams have "ample opportunity to speak for themselves" (xi). In the end, this sort of reliance upon primary correspondence gives the book an authenticity it might not have otherwise."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Alexander, John K. Samuel Adams: America's Revolutionary Politician. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002.
• Cleary, Patricia. "Samuel Adams: America's Revolutionary Politician (book review)." The William and Mary Quarterly, 60.3 (2003, January). 2 Apr. 2007 <http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/wm/60.1/br_10.html#FOOT1>

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