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Samuel AdamsThe Rights of the Colonists
Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1772A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Index of Terms
British (or “American”) Colonies
When Adams references the “colonies,” he means the thirteen British colonies in North America that eventually declared independence in 1776 and became the United States of America. There was no immediate threat of independence when Adams wrote this essay in 1772, but the thirteen colonies had begun to resist British policy (notably, taxation without representation in Parliament). The colonies were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The British Empire comprised many colonies—about thirty—in different parts of the world by the time of the American Revolution. Adams makes references to the British Empire as a whole, which included colonies all over the globe, but his immediate concerns are with the colonies along the eastern shore of North America, and particularly Massachusetts where he was most influential. Somewhat confusingly, historical narratives refer to the colonies as both British colonies and American colonies.
British Parliament
Parliament is the legislative body of the British government. It consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Members of the House of Lords (the “upper house”) receive their positions because of their social status or lineage. They are appointed by the monarch. The House of Commons (the “lower house”) consists of elected officials. Together, the houses of Parliament pass legislation and, during the time that Adams wrote this essay, checked the significant executive power of the monarch. While these institutions still exist in the 21st century, the influence of the monarchy and the House of Lords have diminished over time in favor of the House of Commons.
Magna Carta
The term “Magna Carta” refers to a royal charter of rights that has had enduring significance over centuries of British history. The document itself, whose full title is Magna Carta Libertatum (“Great Charter of Liberties”), articulated the rights of the king and the principle that neither the king (or queen) nor any other governmental official is above the law. English barons drew up the charter in 1215 during the reign of King John, who accepted it under the threat of civil war. It not only subjected government officials to the rule of law but outlined the liberties of free men in British society. It set legal precedents for the future of individual rights in Britain. Adams cites legal traditions stemming from this document as essential mandates of rights and privileges granted to all Englishmen.
Natural Rights
Natural rights refer to theoretical freedoms possessed by all “men.” (Whether “men” meant males or humans varied among thinkers who invoked the concept, although many used the term to apply to all people). These rights are not dependent on government or society, but are, as the title suggests, natural because they derive from human nature or (according to some thinkers) from God. In this way, natural rights are different than legal rights, which come from governments.
The concept and specific contours of natural rights theory originated in ancient Greek philosophy and was developed by philosophers over many centuries. English philosopher John Locke articulated the theory of natural rights that was most prevalent in the 18th century. Locke listed life, liberty, and property as fundamental natural rights. These are the rights that Adams lists in the opening section of “The Rights of the Colonists.”
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that spread across Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Social and political thinkers reexamined religion, science, government, and more in ways that reshaped society and created many of the ideas and values of the modern world. For this reason, the movement is considered revolutionary, and it did incite several political and social revolutions, most notably the American and French Revolutions.
Enlightenment philosophy championed reason as a virtue. Through reasoned inquiry and analysis, people could understand their world and the universe, and they could improve society. The period is sometimes referred to as the Age of Reason. Some of the most famous Enlightenment thinkers were Thomas Hobbes, Immanuel Kant, John Locke, Isaac Newtown, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire. Their contributions, as well as those of their contemporaries, span the fields of medicine, science, mathematics, art, literature, philosophy, theology, law, and political theory.
