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Secondary sourceDocument1911

Samuel Adams, entry in Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition

1911

A 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article on Samuel Adams, covering his family, education, and political career.

A standard reference encyclopedia entry summarizing Samuel Adams's family, education, and early political career.

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About this source

What it is

This is the entry on Samuel Adams from the eleventh edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, published in 1911.

Why it matters

The entry situates Adams within his family, noting his father's involvement in Boston's political "Caucus Club," and describes Adams's Harvard education, his repeated business failures, and his growing importance in Boston town meetings. It reflects how early twentieth-century reference works framed the American Revolution's leaders.

Look closer

  • What does the mention of the "Caucus Club" tell us about how political organizing worked in colonial Boston?
  • Why might the entry emphasize Adams's failures in business rather than only his successes?
  • How does this encyclopedia account compare with how history textbooks describe Adams today?

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