He was seen as a normal common man. People of Massachusetts liked that Adams didn't brag and flaunt about being rich. Adams had a sympathy for men that worked hard and that got their hands dirty(Maier 18). There were instances when Adams would go to collect taxes and if someone didn't have enough money, Adams wouldn't collect. Adams" sincerity and common man characteristics made everyone like him and respect him. Having everyone's respect was definitely something Adams wanted. Having everyone's respect enabled him to influence what people thought and how they felt towards certain things. After working at the brewery, Adams moved on to become a clerk of the Massachusetts assembly, a member of the Sons of Liberty, and a delegate to the continental congress.
When the East India Company started to lose business due to Holland smuggling tea into America, the British government devised a plan that would end up taxing the Americans without representation, and would also weaken powerful colonial merchants who ran a successful business trading smuggled tea from Holland(Divine 143). This Tea Act left many Americans angry and confused. In Philadelphia and New York City, colonists made the tea ships turn and head back to England before the ships could unload. The story was different in Boston, however. Mr. Hutchinson, the governor of Boston, didn't make the tea ships turn around, instead, he docked the ships and let them sit until the colonists made up their minds on whether or not they wanted the tea. Samuel Adams spent a lot of time in taverns conversing and spreading his ideas, hoping others would catch on and join him in his beliefs. Adams was a very good speaker and was liked by both the lower class and the upper class. As Adams went around town, conversing in taverns, he kept reminding people about how the British were taking control and sort of "screwing them over." With the constant reminders and pestering from Adams, the people were ready to take action.