Massachusetts Troublemakers

Twenty Independent-Minded Men and Women Who Helped Make Massachusetts What It Is Today Stirring up trouble has a long and illustrious history in the Bay State. From such famous figures as brewer-turned-patriot Samuel Adams to more obscure personalities like brazenly bearded Joe Palmer, the twenty men and women profiled in this collection went against the grain and helped shape the Bay State into the progressive place it has become.
Revolutionary War publisher Isaiah Thomas proved the pen is mightier than the sword. Deborah Samson so believed in America's independence that she masqueraded as a man to join the struggle against the British. In 1845 Margaret Fuller published a book that became the blueprint for the women's rights movement. Half a century before Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, "Worcester Whirlwind" Major Taylor battled "that monster prejudice" to dominate bicycle racing on three continents. In "Massachusetts Troublemakers," author Paul Della Valle brings these individuals to life with colorful tales of rabble-rousing and pot-stirring, not to mention a little bit of dancing and drinking, complemented by more than twenty archival photos.