Growing up as a petty merchant, Adams joined Sir Charles Hobby's New England regiment, participating in the capture of Port-Royal in 1710.
There, he traded manufactured goods with the province's Acadian and Native Americans, and took up the role of a real estate agent and contractor.
Adams joined the Executive Council of Nova Scotia on 28 April 1720, holding his position there for 20 years; the records show that few served as long as he did.
Adams was appointed a notary public and deputy collector of customs for Annapolis Royal in 1725, and he was commissioned a justice of the peace in March 1727.
This turn of events led Adams to retire to Boston in late August or early September 1740, where he stayed for the rest of his life.