More important than George Washington?

Who were these guys?

"COME AT ME BRO!"*

*Unhistorical remark by the two after King George threatened their lives.

The founding of the United States required many sacrifices, but none more than Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams, who were instrumental in its inception.

Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams were the fearless firebrands who sparked the American Revolution. Without their bold defiance of British tyranny, you would not enjoy the freedom and constitutionally limited republic*you have today. We cannot forget their efforts.

The concept of a constitutionally limited republic is sound, but its effectiveness depends on the preservation of its boundaries. If the government oversteps its constitutional limits, it undermines the freedom and democracy it was meant to protect. We must be as determined to restore and maintain it as these heroes, read more below.

These two had a vision of a nation where liberty and justice prevailed. They fought with courage and conviction to create a LAND OF THE BRAVE AND THE HOME OF THE FREE.

Lets learn a bit more about these two.

Samuel Adams 

was a founding father of the United States and a leader of the American Revolution was a politician, political philosopher, and activist who played a key role in organizing and mobilizing the colonists against the British rule. He was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a governor of Massachusetts. Here is a summary of his life and achievements:

- Samuel Adams was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 27, 1722. He graduated from Harvard College in 1740 and briefly studied law. He failed in several business ventures and became a tax collector in Boston, where he neglected his duties and became involved in local politics.

- Samuel Adams was one of the first and most vocal opponents of the British taxation policies that sparked the American Revolution. He denounced the Sugar Act (1764) and the Stamp Act (1765) as violations of the colonists' rights and liberties. He helped organize the Stamp Act riots in Boston and formed the Sons of Liberty, a secret society that resisted British authority.

- Samuel Adams was influential in creating the committee of correspondence system, which linked the colonies in their opposition to Britain. He also helped plan and execute the Boston Tea Party (1773), a protest against the Tea Act that resulted in the dumping of 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. He was one of the targets of the Coercive Acts (1774), which closed Boston's port and restricted its self-government.

- Samuel Adams was a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1781, where he advocated for independence from Britain. He signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and helped draft the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States. He also served on several committees, such as the Board of War and the Committee of Secret Correspondence.

- Samuel Adams returned to Massachusetts in 1781 and became involved in state politics. He was a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention (1780), where he helped write the state constitution. He was also elected to the Massachusetts Senate, where he served as president from 1782 to 1785 and from 1787 to 1788. He supported the ratification of the U.S. Constitution (1788), but only with a bill of rights to protect individual freedoms.

- Samuel Adams was elected lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1789, serving under John Hancock until 1793. He then became governor of Massachusetts from 1794 to 1797, when he retired from public office. He was a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, which opposed the Federalist Party's policies on foreign affairs, finance, and centralization. He died in Boston on October 2, 1803, at the age of 81.

Samuel Adams was a patriot, statesman, and visionary who dedicated his life to the cause of American liberty. He was a master of propaganda, persuasion, and organization who inspired and mobilized his fellow colonists to resist British oppression. He was also a principled and passionate defender of democracy, republicanism, and natural rights. He is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in American history.

Patrick Henry 

My personal favorite. was also a founding father of the United States and a leader of the American Revolution. He was a politician, political philosopher, and activist who is best known for his famous speech at the Second Virginia Convention in 1775, where he declared, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" He was also the first and sixth governor of Virginia, serving from 1776 to 1779 and from 1784 to 1786.

-Patrick Henry was born on May 29, 1736, in Hanover County, Virginia. He was educated at home by his father, a Scotsman who was a surveyor, colonel, and justice of the county court. He studied law on his own and became a lawyer in 1760. He soon gained a reputation for his eloquence and skill in defending the rights and liberties of the colonists against the British government.

-Patrick Henry was one of the first and most vocal opponents of the British taxation policies that sparked the American Revolution. He denounced the Stamp Act of 1765 as unconstitutional and tyrannical, and helped organize the Sons of Liberty, a secret society that resisted British authority. He also created the committee of correspondence system, which linked the colonies in their opposition to Britain. He was a delegate to the First Continental Congress in 1774, where he signed the Petition to the King and the Continental Association.

- Patrick Henry was instrumental in persuading the Virginia Convention to adopt a resolution for independence from Britain in 1776. He also served on the committee that drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the original Virginia Constitution. He was elected as the first governor of independent Virginia and served three consecutive terms. He supported the war effort by raising troops, supplies, and funds for the Continental Army.

- Patrick Henry was a staunch anti-federalist who opposed the ratification of the United States Constitution. He feared that a strong central government would endanger the rights and powers of the states and the people. He argued for a bill of rights to be added to the Constitution to protect individual freedoms. He was influential in securing the adoption of the first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, in 1791.

- Patrick Henry retired from public office in 1797 and spent his last years at his estate, Red Hill, in Charlotte County, Virginia. He died on June 6, 1799, at the age of 63. He is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in American history and one of the greatest orators of all time.

*A constitutionally limited republic is a form of government that is based on a written or agreed upon constitution that sets the boundaries and limits of the government's power over the people. The United States of America is an example of a constitutionally limited republic, where the federal government has only the powers that are delegated to it by the Constitution, and the states and the people retain the rest of the rights and responsibilities. The Founders of the United States believed that a constitutionally limited republic was the best way to protect the individual liberty and prevent tyranny by any branch or level of government.

This Independence Day, let us celebrate by revisiting the Declaration of Independence. Read it out loud to your childeren. It is the founding document of our nation, the proclamation of our rights and freedoms, and the expression of our ideals and values. We must keep this vision alive in our hearts and minds, and defend it from any threats or challenges.

Read It Here At The National Archives!

Happy Fourth Of July!