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Commonwealth Museum   Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin
Commonwealth Museum Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin

Road to Revolution: The Grand Incendiary

As in earlier protests Samuel Adams emerged as the leading opponent of the tax on tea.

Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams by John Singleton Copley. - Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Samuel Adams by John Singleton Copley.
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

He preferred to be called Samuel Adams, not the more diminutive “Sam.” Thomas Hutchinson called him the “Grand Incendiary.” After inheriting his father’s malt business, Adams failed as a brewer but displayed a genius for organization and propaganda. He frequented taverns to gauge public opinion and established “Committees of Correspondence” that would play a central role in the tea crisis. In 1773 he relied on a new extra-legal group, called the “Body of the People,” to give orders.


“What is called the Committee of Correspondence for the Town of Boston held their meeting and invited the like committees of the adjacent towns Charlestown, Roxbury, Brookline, Dorchester and Cambridge to join with them.” Thomas Hutchinson. Massachusetts Archives
“What is called the Committee of Correspondence for the Town of Boston held their meeting and invited the like committees of the adjacent towns Charlestown, Roxbury, Brookline, Dorchester and Cambridge to join with them.”
- Thomas Hutchinson, Massachusetts Archives

This is Personal
Deacon Samuel Adams, Sr., Samuel’s father, had founded a land bank, allowing farmers to borrow paper money against the value of their land. Thomas Hutchinson favored “hard money” – gold and silver. He campaigned against the land bank and Deacon Adams was ruined financially. Samuel inherited debts and lawsuits.

Merchant Prince - John Hancock

Reputedly, John Hancock was Boston’s wealthiest merchant. Born into humble circumstances he was adopted by a merchant uncle and moved into the top level of colonial society. During the Stamp Tax crisis of 1765 he sided with Samuel Adams. Thomas Hutchinson appointed him Colonel of Cadets, perhaps hoping that the status and impressive uniform would appeal to Hancock’s vanity. When Hutchinson called for the cadets to maintain order in 1773 Hancock ignored the request.

John Hancock by John Singleton Copley. - Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
John Hancock by John Singleton Copley.
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Mercy Otis Warren by John Singleton Copley. - Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Mercy Otis Warren by John Singleton Copley.
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Sons and Daughters of Liberty
During the Stamp Tax crisis of 1765 the phrase “Sons of Liberty” came into popular usage. Newspaper accounts also referred to “Daughters of Liberty.” Boycotting English tea, some women served a concoction called “Labrador Tea” made from the redroot bush. Mercy Otis Warren published satires lampooning Governor Hutchinson.