Thomas Adams (1730– August 1788) was a politician and businessman from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, he was a delegate of the Continental Congress and signed the Articles of Confederation.

Early years

Adams was born in New Kent County, Virginia, in about 1730, the son of Ebenezer Adams and Tabitha Cocke. His father was a native of London, England, who settled in Virginia previous to 1714 and received grants in Henrico and New Kent counties. Adams attended there the common schools.US Congress, id: A000049

Career

His first political position was as a clerk of Henrico County and vestryman of that parish, from 1757 to 1761, and later a member of the Virginia

House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses () was the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly from 1619 to 1776. It existed during the colonial history of the United States in the Colony of Virginia in what was then British America. From 1642 to 1776, the Hou ...

, and churchwarden until 1762. Adams had extensive business interests in England and resided there from 1762 to around 1774. In 1774, he resumed his residence in Virginia before the outbreak of the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

. He became chairman of the New Kent County Committee of Safety and signed the Virginia Association entered into by the House of Burgesses, on May 27, 1774. Adams was chosen as a delegate from Virginia to the Continental Congress in 1778 and 1779, and signed the Articles of Confederation.

Later years

In 1780, Adams moved to Augusta County,

, where he was elected to the Virginia State Senate in the 9th, 10th and 11th legislatures, from 1784 to 1787. He married Elizabeth (Fauntleroy) Cocke, widow of his cousin, Bowler Cocke. Adams died on his estate, "Cowpasture", in Augusta County, in August 1788. Some other sources report that he died in October 1788.

References

Sources

* Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Thomas Founding Fathers of the United States House of Burgesses members Signers of the Articles of Confederation Continental Congressmen from Virginia 18th-century members of the Virginia General Assembly 1730 births 1788 deaths