John Adams soon passed to the front rank of the patriotic party in Massachusetts.  He was eloquent and he was honest.  His popularity in Massachusetts Bay was nearly equal to that of Patrick Henry in Virginia, who was even more vehement.  The Tories looked upon Adams pretty much as the descendants of the old Federalists looked upon William Lloyd Garrison when he began the anti-slavery agitation,—­as a dangerous man, a fanatical reformer.  The presence of such a leader was now needed in Boston, and in 1768 Adams removed to that excitable town, which was always ready to adopt progressive views.  Soon after, two British regiments landed in the town, and occupied the public buildings with the view of overawing and restraining the citizens, especially in the enforcement of customs duties on certain imported articles.  This was a new and worse outrage, but no collision took place between the troops and the people till the memorable “Boston Massacre” on the 5th of March, 1770, when several people were killed and wounded, which increased the popular indignation.  It now looked as if the English government intended to treat the Bostonians as rebels, to coerce them by armed men, to frighten them into submission to all its unwise measures.  What a fortunate thing was that infatuation on the part of English ministers!  The independence of the Colonies might have been delayed for half-a-century but for the stupidity and obstinacy of George III and his advisers.

By this time John Adams began to see the logical issue of English persistency in taxation.  He saw that it would lead to war, and he trembled in view of the tremendous consequences of a war with the mother-country, from which the Colonies had not yet sought a separation.

Adams was now not only in the front rank of the patriotic party, a leader of the people, but had reached eminence as a lawyer.  He was at the head of the Massachusetts bar.  In addition he had become a member of the legislature, second to no one in influence.  But his arduous labors told upon his health, and he removed to Braintree, where he lived for some months, riding into Boston every day.  With restored health from out-door exercise, he returned again to Boston in 1772, purchased a house in Queen Street, opposite the court-house, and renewed his law business, now grown so large that he resigned his seat in the legislature.  Politics, however, absorbed his soul, and stirring times were at hand.

In every seaport—­Charleston, Annapolis, Philadelphia, New York, Boston—­the people were refusing to receive the newly-taxed tea.  On the 17th of December, 1773, three shiploads of tea were destroyed in Boston harbor by a number of men dressed as Indians.  Adams approved of this bold and defiant act, sure to complicate the relations with Great Britain.  In his heart Adams now desired this, as tending to bring about the independence of the Colonies.  He believed that the Americans, after ten years of agitation, were strong enough to