In this lecture, recorded November 11, 2021, Nina Sankovitch presents the intimate connections between leading families of the American Revolution—the Hancock, Quincy, and Adams families—and explores the role played by such figures as John Hancock, John Adams and Abigail Smith (Adams), Josiah Quincy Junior and Dorothy Quincy (Hancock) in sparking the flames of dissent and rebellion that would lead to the Declaration of Independence in 1776. By focusing in on Braintree, Massachusetts and these three prominent families of the village, Sankovitch demonstrates how the desire for independence cut across class lines, binding people together as they pursued commonly held goals of opportunity, liberty, and stability.