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| {{Otherpeople|John Adams}} | |||
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| '''John Adams''' (],] – ], ]) was a politician and one of the ] of the ]. He served both as that nation's first ] (1789–1797), and as its second ] (1797–1801). He was defeated for re-election in the "Revolution of 1800" by ]. Adams was a sponsor of the ] in ], and a diplomat in the 1770s. He was a driving force for independence in 1776; in fact, the "Colossus of Independence," in Jefferson's understanding. As a statesman and author Adams helped define a set of core ] that became the core of America's political value system: the rejection of ] in favor of rule by the people, hatred of corruption, and devotion to civic duty. As President he was frustrated by battles inside his own ] party against a faction led by ], but he broke with them to avert a major conflict with ] in 1798, during the ] crisis. He became the founder of an important family of politicians, diplomats and historians, and ] Historian Robert Rutland concluded, ''"] was the great intellectual ... ] the ... unquenchable idealist, and ] the most charming and versatile genius... but Adams is the most captivating founding father on most counts."''<ref>Ellis, p. 230.</ref> | |||
| JOHN ADAMS TOUCHES HIS BEST FRIENDS TRA LA LAAAAAAAAAAAAAA =D | |||
| ==Early life== | |||
| John Adams was born the eldest of three brothers on October 30, 1735 (October 19 by the Old Style, ]), in Braintree, Massachusetts, though in an area which became part of Quincy, Massachusetts in 1792. His birthplace is now part of ]. His father, a farmer, also named John (1690-1761), was a fourth-generation descendant of Henry Adams, who immigrated from ], ], to ] in about 1636. His mother was Susanna Boylston Adams.<ref> Ferling (1992) ch 1 </ref> | |||
| Young Adams graduated from ] in 1755 and, for a time, taught school in Worcester and studied law in the office of James Putnam. In 1761, he was admitted to the bar. From an early age, he developed the habit of writing descriptions of events and impressions of men. The earliest known example of these is his report of the 1761 argument of ] in the superior court of Massachusetts as to the legality of ]. Otis’s argument inspired Adams with zeal for the cause of the American colonies. <ref> Ferling (1992) ch 2 </ref> | |||
| In 1764, Adams married Miss ] (1744–1818), the daughter of a Congregational minister, at ]. Their children were ] (1765-1813); future president ] (1767-1848); Charles (1770-1800); and ] (1772-1832); | |||
| Adams was not a popular leader like his second cousin, ]; instead, his influence emerged through his work as a constitutional lawyer and his intense analysis of historical examples<ref> Ferling (1992) 117 </ref>, together with his thorough knowledge of the law and his dedication to the principles of ]. Adams often found his inborn contentiousness to be a handicap in his political career, for example, during his term as president when he lost control of his own cabinet and his Federalist party. <ref> Ferling (1992) 169 </ref> | |||
| == Politics == | |||
| ] | |||
| Adams first rose to prominence as an opponent of the ] of 1765. In that year, he drafted the instructions which were sent by the inhabitants of ] to its representatives in the Massachusetts legislature, and which served as a model for other towns to draw up instructions to their representatives. In August 1765, he anonymously contributed four notable articles to the ] (republished separately in London in 1768 as ''A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law''), in which he argued that the opposition of the colonies to the ] was a part of the never-ending struggle between ] and corporate authority. In December 1765, he delivered a speech before the governor and council in which he pronounced the Stamp Act invalid on the ground that Massachusetts, being without representation in Parliament, had not assented to it.<ref> Ferling (1992) pp 53-63 </ref> | |||
| ===Boston Massacre: 1770=== | |||
| Adams' defense of the British soldiers involved in the ] of 1770 was a masterpiece of politics and legal defense.<ref>Ferling (1992) pp 65-70; John Phillip Reid, "A Lawyer Acquitted: John Adams and the Boston Massacre." ''American Journal of fart history'''Bold text'''''Italic text'''' 1974 18(3): 189-207. Issn: 0002-9319 Fulltext: in Jstor; Hiller B. Zobel, ''The Boston Massacre'' (1970)</ref> | |||
| ==Continental Congress== | |||
| Adams was a member of the ] from 1774 to 1778. In 1775, he was appointed the chief judge of the Massachusetts Superior Court.<ref name="Marquis 1607-1896"/> In June 1775, with a view of promoting the union of the colonies, he nominated ] as commander-in-chief of the ]. His influence in Congress was great, and almost from the beginning, he sought permanent separation from ]. On ], ], Congress created the first of a series of committees to study naval matters. From that time onward, Adams championed the establishment and strengthening of an American Navy and is often referred to as the father of the ].<ref>{{cite news|author = Steve Bansbach|title = Reservists Honor the Father of the Navy|publisher = Navy NewsStand| date = ]|url = http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=20855|accessdate = 2006-10-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = John Adams 1735-1826: Second President, 1797-1801|publisher = ]|url = http://americanhistory.si.edu/presidency/timeline/pres_era/3_663.html|accessdate = 2006-10-09}}</ref> | |||
| On ], ] the Continental Congress, in response to escalating hostilities which had climaxed a year prior at Lexington and Concord, urged that the states begin constructing their own constitutions. | |||
| ]'s famous painting is usually incorrectly identified as a depiction of the signing of the Declaration. What the painting actually depicts is the five-man drafting committee presenting their work to the Congress. Trumbull's painting can also be found on the back of the U.S. ].<ref>http://www.americanrevolution.org/deckey.html</ref> John Adams is standing in the center of the painting.]] | |||
| Today, the Declaration of Independence is remembered as the great revolutionary act, but Adams and most of his contemporaries saw the Declaration as a mere formality. The resolution to draft independent constitutions was, as Adams put it, "independence itself."<ref> Ferling (1992) ch 8, 146 </ref> | |||
| Over the next decade Americans from every state gathered and deliberated on new governing documents. As radical as it was to actually write constitutions (prior convention suggested that a society's guiding principles should remain uncodified), what was equally radical was the nature of American political thought as the summer of 1776 dawned.<ref> Gordon Wood, ''The Radicalism of the American revolution'' (1993) </ref> | |||
| ==''Thoughts on Government''== | |||
| At that time, Adams penned his '']'' (1776), the most influential of all political pamphlets written during the constitution-writing period. '']'' stood as the clearest articulation of the classical theory of mixed government and, in particular, how it related to the emerging American situation. Adams contended, with remarkable force and persuasion, the necessary existence of social estates in any political society, and the need to precisely mirror those social estates in the political structures of the society. For centuries, dating back to Aristotle, a mixed regime balancing monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy, or the monarch, nobles, and people was required to preserve order and liberty.<ref> Ferling (1992) 155-7, 213-5 </ref> | |||
| Adams, viewing the world through an ] mind-set, thought all American state constitutions needed to exhibit a wise balance much like the ancient English Constitution had for so long. What was problematic with the English version, and indeed what plagued the entire ancient regime, was its understanding of the hereditary aristocracy. Adams and his fellow American political thinkers strongly rejected any hereditary nobility holding political power by virtue of birth. Such people lacked the necessary virtue to balance the people in the legislature, Adams thought, and were prone to corruption.<ref> Gordon Wood, ''Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different'' (2006) pp 173-202.</ref> | |||
| Using the tools of ] the patriots believed it was corrupt and nefarious aristocrats, in the ] and stationed in America, who were guilty of the British assault on American liberty. Unlike others, Adams thought that the definition of a republic had to do with its ends, rather than its means. He wrote in '']'', "there is no good government but what is republican. That the only valuable part of the ] is so; because the very definition of a republic is 'an empire of laws, and not of men.'" ''Thoughts on Government'' defended ], but in place of an inherited aristocracy based on birth, a "natural aristocracy" based on merit and talent would suffice. It would not be hereditary and its political power depended on the votes of the people. A distinguished group of independent, virtuous gentlemen, as Adams put it, could adequately balance the passions of the people represented in the lower house of the legislature. ''Thoughts on Government'''s new rendition of the classical theory of mixed government was enormously influential and was referenced as an authority in every state-constitution writing hall. | |||
| ==Declaration of Independence== | |||
| On ], ], Adams seconded the resolution introduced by ] that "these colonies are, and of a right ought to be, free and independent states," acting as champion of these resolutions before the Congress until their adoption on ], ].<ref> Ferling (1992) ch 8 </ref> | |||
| He was appointed on a ] with ], ], ] and ], to draft a ]. Although that document was largely drafted by Jefferson, Adams occupied the foremost place in the debate on its adoption. Many years later, Jefferson hailed Adams as, "The Colossus of that Congress—the great pillar of support to the Declaration of Independence, and its ablest advocate and champion on the floor of the House."<ref>Lipscomb & Bergh, eds. ''Writings of Thomas Jefferson'' (1903), vol. 13, p. xxiv.</ref> In 1777, Adams resigned his seat on the Massachusetts Superior Court to serve as the head of the Board of War and Ordinance, as well as many other important committees.<ref name="Marquis 1607-1896"/> | |||
| ].]] | |||
| == In Europe== | |||
| Congress chose Adams as ] for negotiating a treaty of peace and a treaty of commerce with Great Britain; he went in September 1779. The French government, however, did not approve of Adams’ appointment and subsequently, on ] insistence, ], ], ] and ] were appointed to cooperate with Adams. In the event Jay, Adams and Franklin played the major part in the negotiations. Overruling Franklin, Jay and Adams decided not to consult with France; instead, they dealt directly with the British commissioners.<ref> Ferling (1992) ch 11-12 </ref> | |||
| Throughout the negotiations, Adams was especially determined that the right of the United States to the fisheries along the Atlantic coast should be recognized. The American negotiators were able to secure a favorable treaty, which gave Americans ownership of all lands east of the Mississippi, except Florida, which was transferred to Spain as its reward. The treaty was signed on November 30, 1782. Before these negotiations began, Adams had spent some time in the ] (the Netherlands were then the only other well-functioning Republic in the world). In July 1780, he had been authorized to execute the duties previously assigned to Laurens. With the aid of the Dutch patriot leader ], Adams secured the recognition of the United States as an independent government at ] on April 19, 1782 (in February 1782 the ] states were the first that recognized the United States). The Netherlands was the first European country to grant ] to the U.S., which appointed Adams as the first minister (ambassador). During this trip, he also negotiated a loan and, in October 1782, a treaty of amity and commerce, the second such treaty between the United States and a foreign power (after the 1778 treaty with France). The house that Adams purchased during this stay in The Netherlands became the first American embassy on foreign soil anywhere in the world. | |||
| In 1785, John Adams was appointed the first American minister to the ] (that is, ambassador to Great Britain). When he was presented to his former sovereign, ], the King intimated that he was aware of Adams' lack of confidence in the French government. Adams admitted this, stating: "I must avow to your Majesty that I have no attachment but to my own country.” | |||
| ] of Great Britain referred to this episode in July 7, 1976 at the White House. She said, "John Adams, America's first Ambassador, said to my ancestor, King George III, that it was his desire to help with the restoration of "the old good nature and the old good humor between our peoples." That restoration has long been made, and the links of language, tradition, and personal contact have maintained it."<ref> See </ref> | |||
| ==Constitutional ideas == | |||
| Massachusetts' new constitution, ratified in 1780 and written largely by Adams himself, structured its government most closely on his views of politics and society. <ref>Ronald M. Peters. ''The Massachusetts Constitution of 1780: A Social Compact'' (1978) p. 13 says Adams was its "principal architect." </ref> | |||
| While in London, Adams published a work entitled '']'' (1787). In it he repudiated the views of ] and other European writers as to the viciousness of the framework of state governments. He made the controversial statement that "the rich, the well-born and the able" should be set apart from other men in a senate. Woods (2006) has maintained that Adams had become intellectually irrelevant by the time the Federal Constitution was ratified. By then, American politic thought, transformed by more than a decade of vigorous and searching debate as well as shaping experiential pressures, had abandoned the classical conception of politics which understood government as a mirror of social estates. Americans' new conception of ] now saw the people-at-large as the sole possessors of power in the realm. All agents of the government enjoyed mere portions of the people's power, and only for a limited period of time. Adams had completely missed this concept and revealed his continued attachment to the older version of politics.<ref> Gordon Wood, ''Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different'' (2006) pp 173-202; see also Gordon Wood, ''The Radicalism of the American Revolution'' (1993) .</ref> | |||
| Regarding slavery, Adams was quiet. His wife Abigail is on record opposing slavery (even though her parents owned two slaves); John never bought a slave. He spoke out against a bill to emancipate slaves in Massachusetts, opposed use of black soldiers in the Revolution, and tried to keep the issue out of national politics. <ref> Ferling (1992) pp 172-3. online at </ref> | |||
| ==Vice Presidency== | |||
| ].]] | |||
| While Washington was the unanimous choice for president, Adams came in second in the ] and became Vice President in the ]. He played a minor role in the politics of the early 1790s and was reelected in ]. Washington never asked Adams for input on policy and legal issues. <ref> Ferling (1992) ch 15 </ref> | |||
| In the first year of Washington's administration, Adams became deeply involved in a month-long Senate controversy over what the official title of the President would be, favoring grandiose titles such as "His Majesty the President" or "His High Mightiness" over the simple "President of the United States" that won the issue. The pomposity of Adams's stance, and his being overweight, led to the nickname "His Rotundity." | |||
| As ], Adams cast 31 ]—a record that only ] came close to tying, with 28.<ref> Ferling (1992) p 311 </ref> His votes protected the president's sole authority over the removal of appointees and influenced the location of the national capital. On at least one occasion, he persuaded senators to vote against legislation that he opposed, and he frequently lectured the Senate on procedural and policy matters. Adams' political views and his active role in the Senate made him a natural target for critics of the ] administration. Toward the end of his first term, as a result of a threatened resolution that would have silenced him except for procedural and policy matters, he began to exercise more restraint. When the two political parties formed, he joined the ], but never got on well with its dominant leader ]. Because of Adams' seniority and the need for a northern president, he was elected as the Federalist nominee for president in ], over ], the leader of the opposition ]. His success was due to peace and prosperity; Washington and Hamilton had averted war with Britain by the ] of 1795.<ref> Ferling (1992) pp 316-32 </ref> | |||
| == Presidency: 1797-1801== | |||
| ===Policies=== | |||
| {{see also|John Adams' First State of the Union Address}} | |||
| As President Adams followed Washington's lead in making the presidency the example of republican values and stressing ]. He was never implicated in any scandal. Historians consider his worst mistake to be keeping the old cabinet, which was controlled by Hamilton, instead of installing his own people. It confirmed Adams' own admission he was a poor politician because he "was unpractised in intrigues for power." <ref> Ferling (1992) ch 16, quote p 333. </ref> | |||
| Adams' four years as president (1797–1801) were marked by intense disputes over foreign policy. ]; Adams and the Federalists favored Britain, while Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans favored France. An undeclared naval war between the U.S. and France, called the ], broke out in 1798. The humiliation of the ], in which the French demanded huge bribes before any discussions could begin, led to serious threat of full-scale war with France and embarrassed the Jeffersonians, who were friends to France. The Federalists built up the army under ] and ], built warships, such as the ], and raised taxes. They cracked down on political immigrants and domestic opponents with the ], which were signed by Adams in 1798. Those Acts, and the high-profile prosecution of a number of newspaper editors and one Congressman by the Federalists, became highly controversial. Some historians have noted that the Alien and Sedition Acts were relatively rarely enforced, as only 10 convictions under the ] have been identified and as Adams never signed a deportation order, and that the furor over the Alien and Sedition Acts was mainly stirred up by the Democratic-Republicans. However, other historians emphasize that the Acts were highly controversial from the outset, resulted in many aliens leaving the country voluntarily, and created an atmosphere where opposing the Federalists, even on the floor of Congress, could and did result in prosecution. The election of 1800 became a bitter and volatile battle, with each side expressing extraordinary fear of the other party and its policies.<ref> Ferling (1992) ch 17 </ref> | |||
| The deep split in the Federalist party came on the army issue. Adams was forced to name Washington as commander of the new army, and Washington demanded that Hamilton be given the #2 position. Adams reluctantly gave in. Indeed, Major General Hamilton virtually took control of the War department. The rift between Adams and the High federalists (as Adams' opponents were called) grew wider. The High Federalists refused to consult Adams over the key legislation of 1798; they changed the defense measures which he had called for; they demanded Hamilton control the army; refused to recognize the necessity giving key Democratic-Republicans (like ]) senior positions in the army (which Adams wanted to do in order to gain some Democratic-Republican support). By building a large ] the High Federalists raised popular alarms and played into the hands of the Democratic-Republicans. They also alienated Adams and his large personal following. They shortsightedly viewed the Federalist party as their own tool and ignored the need to pull together the entire nation in the face of war with France.<ref>Kurtz (1967), p. 331.</ref> | |||
| For long stretches, Adams withdrew to his home in Massachusetts. In February 1799, Adams stunned the country by sending diplomat ] on a peace mission to France. ], realizing the animosity of the United States was doing no good, signaled his readiness for friendly relations. The ] was superseded and the United States could now be free of foreign entanglements, as Washington advised in his own Farewell Letter. Adams avoided war, but deeply split his own party in the process. He brought in ] as Secretary of State and demobilized the emergency army.<ref> Ferling (1992) ch 18 </ref> | |||
| ===Reelection campaign 1800=== | |||
| The death of Washington, in 1799, weakened the Federalists, as they lost the one man who symbolized and united the party. In the ], Adams ran and lost the electoral vote narrowly. Among the causes of his defeat was distrust of him by "High Federalists" led by Hamilton, the popular disapproval of the Alien and Sedition Acts, the popularity of his opponent, ], and the effective politicking of ] in ], where the legislature (which selected the electoral college) shifted from Federalist to Republican on the basis of a few wards in ] controlled by Burr's machine. <ref> Ferling (1992) ch 19; Ferling (2004) </ref> | |||
| ===Midnight Judges=== | |||
| As his term was expiring, Adams appointed a series of judges, called the "]" because most of them were formally appointed days before the presidential term expired. Most of the judges were eventually unseated when the Jeffersonians abolished their offices. But ] remained, and his long tenure as ] represents the most lasting influence of the Federalists, as Marshall refashioned the Constitution into a nationalizing force and established the Judicial Branch as the equal of the Executive and Legislative, although this was not the founders' original intent.<ref>Ferling (1992) P. 409</ref> | |||
| === Major presidential actions === | |||
| * Built up the US navy | |||
| * Fought the ] with France | |||
| * Signed ] of 1798 | |||
| * Ended war with France through diplomacy | |||
| ===Speeches=== | |||
| ====]==== | |||
| *] (], ]) | |||
| ====]==== | |||
| *] (], ]) | |||
| *], (], ]) | |||
| *], (], ]) | |||
| *], (], ]) | |||
| === Administration and Cabinet === | |||
| {| cellpadding="1" cellspacing="4" style="margin:3px; border:3px solid #000000;" align="left" | |||
| !bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"| | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|'''OFFICE'''||align="left"|'''NAME'''||align="left"|'''TERM''' | |||
| |- | |||
| !bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"| | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left" |'''John Adams'''||align="left"|1797–1801 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1797–1801 | |||
| |- | |||
| !bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"| | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1797–1800 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1800–1801 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1797–1801 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1801–1801 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1797–1800 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1800–1801 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1797–1801 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1797–1801 | |||
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| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1798–1801 | |||
| |} | |||
| <br clear="all"> | |||
| === Supreme Court appointments === | |||
| Adams appointed the following Justices to the ]: | |||
| *] – 1799 | |||
| *] – 1800 | |||
| *] (]) – 1801 | |||
| === States admitted to the Union === | |||
| ''None'' | |||
| ==Post Presidency== | |||
| ] (1823).]] | |||
| Following his 1800 defeat, Adams retired into private life. Depressed when he left office, he refused to attend Jefferson's inauguration. He went back to farming in the Quincy area. | |||
| In 1812, Adams reconciled with Jefferson. Their mutual friend ], who had been corresponding with both, encouraged Adams to reach out to Jefferson. Adams sent a brief note to Jefferson, which resulted in a resumption of their friendship, and initiated a correspondence which lasted the rest of their lives. Their letters are rich in insight into both the period and the minds of the two Presidents and revolutionary leaders.<ref> Cappon (1988)</ref> | |||
| Sixteen months before his death, his son, ], became the sixth President of the United States (1825–1829), the only son of a former President to hold the office until ] in 2001. | |||
| His daughter Abigail ("Nabby") was married to ] ] and died of cancer in 1816. His son Charles died as an alcoholic in 1800. His son Thomas and his family lived with Adams and Louisa Smith (Abigail's niece by her brother William) to the end of Adams' life.<ref> Ferling (1992) ch 20</ref> | |||
| ==Famous Quotations== | |||
| "People and Nations are forged in the fires of adversity." | |||
| "Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom." | |||
| "I must study politics and war that my sons may have ] to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain." | |||
| "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." | |||
| == Death == | |||
| ] (foreground) and their wives, in a family crypt beneath the ].]] | |||
| On ], ], the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Adams died at his home in Quincy. His last words are often quoted as "Thomas Jefferson still survives." Only the words "Thomas Jefferson" were clearly intelligible among his last, however.<ref> Retrieved on ]-].</ref> Adams was unaware that Jefferson, his great political rival — and later friend and correspondent — had died a few hours earlier on that same day. | |||
| His crypt lies at ] (also known as the ''Church of the Presidents'') in Quincy. Until his record was broken by ] in 2001, he was the nation's longest-living President (90 years, 247 days) maintaining that record for 175 years. The record is currently held by former President ], who served less than one term, and who passed away ], ] at 93 years, 165 days. | |||
| John Adams remains the longest-lived person ever elected to both of the highest offices in the United States government. | |||
| ==Religious views== | |||
| Adams was raised a ], becoming a ] at a time when most of the Congregational churches around Boston were turning to ]. As a youth, Adams' father had urged him to become a minister, but Adams declined, considering the practice of law to be a more noble calling. A detailed analysis of Adams' religion by Everett (1966) argues that Adams was not a deist, but he used deistic terms in his speeches and writing. He believed in the essential goodness of the creation, but did not believe in the divinity of Christ or that God intervened in the affairs of individuals. Although not anti-clerical, he advocated the separation of church and state. He also believed that regular church service was beneficial to man's moral sense. Everett concludes that "Adams strove for a religion based on a common sense sort of reasonableness" and maintained that religion must change and evolve toward perfection.<ref>Robert B. Everett, "The Mature Religious Thought of John Adams," ''Proceedings of the South Carolina Historical Association'' (1966), 49-57; .</ref> | |||
| He railed against what he saw as overclaiming of authority by the Catholic church: | |||
| :Since the promulgation of Christianity, the two greatest systems of tyranny that have sprung from this original, are the canon and the feudal law.... By the former of these, the most refined, sublime, extensive, and astonishing constitution of policy that ever was conceived by the mind of man was framed by the Romish clergy for the aggrandizement of their own order. ... All these opinions they were enabled to spread and rivet among the people by reducing their minds to a state of sordid ignorance and staring timidity, and by infusing into them a religious horror of letters and knowledge. Thus was human nature chained fast for ages in a cruel, shameful, and deplorable servitude to him, and his subordinate tyrants, who, it was foretold, would exalt himself above all that was called God, and that was worshipped.<ref>''A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law'', 1765 .</ref> | |||
| In a letter to Thomas Jefferson, he wrote: | |||
| :I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved — the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced!<ref> cited at </ref> | |||
| In ], on Thomas Paine's '']'', Adams wrote: | |||
| :The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity, let the Blackguard Paine say what he will."<ref>''The Works of John Adams'' (1854), vol. III, p. 421, diary entry for July 26, 1796.</ref> | |||
| In another letter to Thomas Jefferson on December 25, ], he wrote: | |||
| :I have examined all ...and the result is that the Bible is the best Book in the world. It contains more philosophy than all the libraries I have seen.<ref>''The Works of John Adams'' (1854), vol. X, p. 85.</ref> | |||
| ==Trivia== | |||
| * Adams was the first President to live in the ]. | |||
| * Adams was one of three presidents who died on the ], along with Jefferson and ] (1831). He and Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. | |||
| * The ] is proposed in Washington, D.C. for John Adams and his family. | |||
| * His inaugural address on ], ] included a 727-word long sentence. | |||
| * Adams spoke with a ]. | |||
| * Was the longest lived president at 90 years 253 days, until ] broke Adams's record on October 13, 2001. Reagan lived until ] to 93 years 119 days. President ], who served less than one term, became the longest living president in history on November 11, 2006 at 93 years, 120 days. Ford passed away on December 26, 2006, setting the new record at 93 years 165 days. | |||
| * John Adams retains the record as longest-lived person elected to both of the two highest offices in the United States government's executive branch. | |||
| * One of two presidents to have a son to become President, the other president being George Bush. | |||
| ==John Adams in popular culture== | |||
| * ] played John Adams in the ] musical (as well as the 1972 movie adaptation) '']''. | |||
| * ] played John Adams in the 1997 revival of '']'' on Broadway. | |||
| * ] played John Adams in the highly acclaimed The series has never been released on DVD or on VHS. | |||
| * ] played John Adams in the 1984 U.S. mini-series ''George Washington''. | |||
| * ] played John Adams in two ] miniseries: ''Liberty! The American Revolution'' in 1996 and ''Benjamin Franklin'' in 2002. | |||
| * ] played John Adams in the 1976 short film ''Independence.'' | |||
| ==Notes== | |||
| <div class="references-small"> | |||
| <references/> | |||
| </div> | |||
| ==References== | |||
| * Brown, Ralph A. ''The Presidency of John Adams.'' (1988). Political narrative. | |||
| * Chinard, Gilbert. ''Honest John Adams.'' (1933). short life | |||
| * Elkins, Stanley M. and Eric McKitrick, ''The Age of Federalism''. (1993), highly detailed political interpretation of 1790s | |||
| * Ellis, Joseph J. ''Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams'' (1993), interpretative essay by Pulitzer prize winning scholar. | |||
| * Ferling, John. ''Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800.'' (2004), narrative history of the election . | |||
| * Ferling, John. ''John Adams: A Life.'' (1992), full scale biography | |||
| * Grant, James. ''John Adams: Party of One.''(2005), short biography | |||
| * Haraszti, Zoltan. ''John Adams and the Prophets of Progress''. (1952). Adams's political comments on numerous authors | |||
| * Kurtz, Stephen G. ''The Presidency of John Adams: The Collapse of Federalism, 1795-1800'' (1957). Detailed political narrative. | |||
| * McCullough, David. ''John Adams.'' (2002). Best-selling popular biography, stressing Adams's character, his marriage with Abigail; skips over his ideas and his constitutional thoughts. Winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize in Biography. | |||
| * Miller, John C. ''The Federalist Era: 1789-1801.'' (1960). Thorough survey of politics in decade. | |||
| * Ryerson, Richard Alan, ed. ''John Adams and the Founding of the Republic'' (2001). Essays by scholars: "John Adams and the Massachusetts Provincial Elite," by William Pencak; "Before Fame: Young John Adams and Thomas Jefferson," by John Ferling; "John Adams and the 'Bolder Plan,'" by Gregg L. Lint; "In the Shadow of Washington: John Adams as Vice President," by Jack D. Warren; "The Presidential Election of 1796," by Joanne B. Freeman; "The Disenchantment of a Radical Whig: John Adams Reckons with Free Speech," by Richard D. Brown; "'Splendid Misery': Abigail Adams as First Lady," by Edith B. Gelles; "John Adams and the Science of Politics," by C. Bradley Thompson; and "Presidents as Historians: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson," by Herbert Sloan. | |||
| * Sharp, James. ''American Politics in the Early Republic: The New Nation in Crisis.'' (1995), detailed political narrative of 1790s. | |||
| * Smith, Page. ''John Adams''. (1962) 2 volume; full-scale biography, winner of the Bancroft Prize | |||
| * Thompson, C. Bradley. ''John Adams and the Spirit of Liberty''. (1998). Analysis of Adams's political thought; insists Adams was the greatest political thinker among the Founding Generation and anticipated many of the ideas in ''The Federalist.'' | |||
| * White, Leonard D. ''The Federalists: A Study in Administrative History'' (1956), thorough analysis of the mechanics of government in 1790s | |||
| * Gordon S. Wood. ‘’ Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different’’ (2006) | |||
| ===Primary sources=== | |||
| *Adams, C.F. ''The Works of John Adams, with Life'' (10 vols., Boston, 1850-1856) | |||
| * Butterfield, L. H. et al., eds., ''The Adams Papers'' (1961- ). Multivolume letterpress edition of all letters to and from major members of the Adams family, plus their diaries; still incomplete . | |||
| * Cappon, Lester J. ed. ''The Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams'' (1988). | |||
| * Carey, George W., ed. ''The Political Writings of John Adams''. (2001). Compilation of extracts from Adams's major political writings. | |||
| * Diggins, John P., ed. ''The Portable John Adams''. (2004) | |||
| == External links == | |||
| {{wikisource author}} | |||
| {{wikiquote}} | |||
| {{Commons}} | |||
| * Official NPS website: | |||
| * | |||
| * at Liberty-Tree.ca | |||
| * | |||
| * from the Avalon Project (includes Inaugural Address, State of the Union Addresses, and other materials) | |||
| * Captured December 16, 2004. | |||
| *{{gutenberg author|id=John_Adams|name=John Adams}} | |||
| * | |||
| * State of the Union Addresses: , , , | |||
| * | |||
| *Quotes on the preservation of freedom: | |||
| * @ the ] | |||
| {{start box}} | |||
| {{succession box | |||
| | title=] ] candidate | |||
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| {{succession footnote| marker=<sup>(a)</sup>| footnote=While Adams won the Vice Presidency in ] as well, he was not the candidate of the Federalist Party, which had not yet formed.}} | |||
| {{succession footnote | |||
| | marker=<sup>(b)</sup> | |||
| | footnote=Technically, Adams was a presidential candidate in 1792 and Pinckney was a presidential candidate in 1796. Prior to the passage of the ] in 1804, each presidential elector could cast two ballots; the highest vote-getter would become President and the runner-up would become Vice President. Thus, in 1792, with ] as the prohibitive favorite for President, the Federalist party fielded Adams as a presidential candidate, with the intention that he be elected to the Vice Presidency. Similarly, in 1796 and 1800, the Federalist party fielded two candidates, Adams and Thomas Pinckney in 1796 and Adams and ] in 1800, with the intention that Adams be elected President and either Pinckney be elected Vice President.}} | |||
| {{succession footnote | |||
| | marker=<sup>(c)</sup> | |||
| | footnote=Adams' term as Vice President is sometimes listed as starting on either March 4 or April 6. March 4 is the official start of the first vice presidential term. April 6 is the date on which Congress counted the electoral votes and certified a Vice President. April 21 is the date on which Adams took the oath of office.}} | |||
| {{end box}} | |||
| {{USpresidents}} | |||
| {{US Vice Presidents}} | |||
| {{Persondata | |||
| |NAME=Adams, John | |||
| |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= | |||
| |SHORT DESCRIPTION=2nd U.S. President | |||
| |DATE OF BIRTH=] ] | |||
| |PLACE OF BIRTH=], ] | |||
| |DATE OF DEATH=] ] | |||
| |PLACE OF DEATH=] | |||
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