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Secondary sourceSculpture1876 (statue); photographed 2011

Samuel Adams statue, National Statuary Hall

Anne Whitney · 1876 (statue); photographed 2011

A marble statue of Samuel Adams by sculptor Anne Whitney, given to the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall Collection in 1876.

This statue commemorates Adams as a Founding Father honored by his home state in the U.S. Capitol.

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White marble statue of Samuel Adams standing with arms crossed, wearing a long coat, waistcoat, breeches, and buckled shoes, on a marble pedestal inscribed 'SAMUEL ADAMS' and 'MASSACHUSETTS'. A framed panel is behind it.
Anne Whitney, statue of Samuel Adams, given 1876. National Statuary Hall Collection, U.S. Capitol. Photo: Architect of the Capitol, 2011.

About this source

What it is

This photograph shows a white marble statue of Samuel Adams, created by sculptor Anne Whitney and donated by Massachusetts in 1876. It stands in the Crypt of the U.S. Capitol as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection, with the figure's name and state carved into the pedestal.

Why it matters

The statue is not a record made during Adams's lifetime but a later tribute, showing how later generations chose to remember him as a Founding Father of Massachusetts. It reflects the way states have honored their historical figures in the Capitol building.

Look closer

  • What does the pose and clothing suggest about how the sculptor wanted viewers to see Adams?
  • Why might Massachusetts have chosen Adams to represent the state in the Capitol?
  • What is left out when a person is remembered only through a statue?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Samuel Adams on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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