samuel adams family did own a brewery in boston. but samuel adams, john hack congre hancock, these are well known names. these people are such a thorn in the british. and general gauge, he said let's go out and crab thgrab this pow. we know where they are. let's rest them enough to know. this is one of the single chapters in this book. in fact, the cover of this book, not giving too much away sh the cover of this book is the death of joseph warren. joseph warren is still in boston. he is one of the rebels who is still brave enough to stay there. he is in charge of things in the city of boston. he sends a couple of men out to work that the british are coming. after dr. warren gives -- they both slipped silently. they practiced cutting the surface with no sound. behind him, revere could see the steep will of the church framed against the starry sky. there would be no mistaking the light of the lantern against the darkness. the signal would come from the base of the steep will. he'll be there. he's a good man. i know he understands the

samuel adams radical pure tan and a biography of john hancock. the last time bill fowler was at the social law library was in 205. at the time he was the director of the massachusetts historical society and he joined gordon wood, pauline may area, ankiel redemar and me in a fascinating and fun discussion celebrating the 225th anniversary of the massachusetts constitution of 1780. the story line of his newest book starts just a year later in 1781. there's an interesting bridge between the adoption of our massachusetts constitution ol' 1780 and bill's book that describes the uncertain war years that followed. i dug out a very interesting letter dated november 12, 1780. it was from soldiers encamped with george washington in new jersey. the letter is about the soldier's view of the new massachusetts's constitution and the war. in part the letter to the massachusetts legislature reads the undersigned officers of the troops of massachusetts in the names of our own names and the names of the brethren in the field declare that we highly respect and appr

[cheers and applause] samuel adams was very clear, and other founders were worried about if we did not keep our republic. they worry that we would go into a dictatorship of the pure majority, which is called democracy. that means the 51%, if they go along with it, can take away the rights of the minority. if you look at the patriot act, that is what is happening. if the majority endorses it, the minority is undermined. when you get worried about not having enough -- today, we do not have 51% of the people right now that endorse everything we say. but the truth is, you do not have to. but you have to have leadership. you have to let people in the right places. 51% of the people in this state will not be voting tomorrow. you will be voting, and you have more clout than those who do not vote. [applause] and adams advised in never requires a majority, but a minority, that they would be fed up with it and it would be irate and determined and believe in something, and our goal should be to continue the powers of life and liberty in the hearts of men. and i think that is what has happened in

samuel adams was one of the strongest christians alive during the revolution. he was inspirational. how strangely will the tools of a tyrant pervert the plain meaning of words, samuel adams, that devout strong christian said. his wonderful quote inspired by his faith and he said if you love wealth better than liberty, the tran quilt of servitude, than the and mating contest of freedom, go promise in peace. we seek not your counsel nor your arms. crouch down and lick the hands that feed you. may your change set lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you are our countrymen. these are people of faith who believed in liberty that started this place. and to have courts saying, you can't say the word god in invocation. we start every day with a prayer in this chamber and have for centuries. well, we go back and i finish with this, the speech of benjamin franklin that we have from his own handwriting, what he said, 1787, late june, 1787 when nearly five weeks had gone by and accomplished virtually nothing. and he pointed out that they had accomplished nothing. they had more noes th