Writings of Samuel Adams, Four Volumes

What it is

This is a scanned four-volume edition of the writings of Samuel Adams, edited by Harry Alonzo Cushing and published in 1904. It covers Adams's writings from 1764 through 1802, spanning the years of colonial protest, the Revolution, and the early republic.

Why it matters

This collection preserves Adams's own words across nearly four decades of political life, from early resistance to British policy to his later years in the new United States. It lets readers trace how his arguments and concerns developed over time, offering direct evidence of one of the Revolution's leading agitators and writers.

Look closer

• Why might it matter to historians that these are scans of the original printed volumes rather than a modern retyped edition?
• How might Adams's writing style or concerns have changed between 1764 and 1802?
• What kinds of documents would you expect in a collection spanning colonial protest through the early republic?