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This book brought up an old rivalry, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, our first and second VP's and our second and third presidents. In my "growing up" years of the 1960's and 1970's Jefferson was definitely looked upon more favorably. Adams was most famous for the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 and Jefferson was famous for:
Writing (most of) the Declaration of Independence;
Inspiring the Bill of Rights;
Forming the rival party to the then-dominant Federalists, the Democratic-Republican Party;
Engineering the Louisiana Purchase; and
Fighting the Barbary Pirates.
This, ultimately, overstated Jefferson's legacy and understated Adams' legacy. In many respects, Jefferson's ideal of a revolutionary model, the French Revolution, was a poor example and a poor outcome. Basically the French revolutionaries demolished all the guardrails that protected civil society. That revolution would up with the destruction of the church, the return to dictatorship under the Directorate and Napoleon and eventually the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. A round-trip that accomplished a few worthwhile things but not very much.
Adams' legacy is far better for his non-Presidential years than his term in office. By his representation of British soldiers in the Boston Massacre trial he helped enshrine the American tradition that everyone gets their day in Court. He was indeed part of the drafting process of the Declaration. With help from Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, he arranged for vital funding of the Revolutionary War. He was our first Ambassador to Britain, during the 1780's. He assisted in the effort to restore relations with Britain. While we were independent we did not rule of world or the seas. After his term in office he was extremely active in promoting the Massachusetts constitution. Certainly, Abigail Adams left a far larger mark on American and women's history than did Martha Jefferson.
Jefferson's non-Presidential legacy is mixed. He indeed was a prime mover behind writing the Declaration, and he was ambassador to France during the 1780's. He was our first Secretary of State. His role in that job was at best dubious. As far as non-political activities he begat a child or children by Sally Hemmings. He lived, and died, in massive debt. Unlike Adams he did not manage his finances well. Monticello was the monument to his visions of grandeur as well as his debt.
Adams was a man of complete honor and rock solid integrity. Adam's ego was his Achille's heel, he knew it, Abigail knew it, everyone knew it, and yet time and again he set his ego aside and did the right thing. Adam's was a frugal man and yet generous. His legacy to education and the way the Adam's raised their children, and the expectations they set for them, and Adam's total fatherly devotion to his family exemplify his character.
On the other hand we have Jefferson, carousing with one married woman after another in Paris, sending for his likely concubine, Sally Hemmings, to act as a totally unqualified caretaker for his daughter Mary, relying on Abigail Adams to step into the breach.
And of course Adam's was adamant in his opposition to slavery. Contrast Jefferson to Washington in this regard. Washington went to great lengths to prepare his slaves for freedom via trade skills and was a rather liberal slave holder in terms of allowing his slaves to use their skills to earn money and went to great pains not to separate families. And of course Washington freed his slaves at his death. Jefferson, apparently, for a visionary could not see beyond his spendthrift ways and his slaves suffered for it, being sold off without regard to family to pay his debts at his death.
Adams was a man on unquestionable integrity and honor who when tested overcame his innate faults. On the other hand, IMO, Jefferson was consumed by his foibles. IMO, Adams is very underrated.
Last edited by PossumMan; 02-09-2023 at 11:12 PM..
The most astounding coincidence in US history is that both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same date, July 4, 1826, 50 years after the Declaration of Independence.
John Adams' last words were "Thomas Jefferson survives", not knowing Jefferson died just a few hours earlier on the same date. Jefferson's last words were "Is it the Fourth?".
Jefferson's words in the Declaration of Independence instituted the REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
No other nation on earth has it.
That makes Jefferson a solid WIN against anything Madison ever said or did.
FYI : A republic is NOT synonymous with a republican form of government, in which all men are created equal (before the law - none higher) and have Creator endowed rights (not government granted privileges / rights) that governments were instituted to secure - not tax, regulate nor trespass. This resulted in the American people being SOVEREIGNS, not subjects, of the government (unless they consented to be governed).
Even the vaunted French revolution of 1789 did NOT create a republican form, where the people are sovereigns, served by government. In their founding document, the citizens are subjects of the national sovereignty embodied in the government. No individual can be a sovereign in France.
At the Revolution, the sovereignty devolved on the people and they are truly the sovereigns of the country. But they are sovereigns without subjects with none to rule but themselves.
- - - Chisholm v. Georgia, 2 Dall. 440, 463 (1793) https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremec...CR_0002_0419_Z
Adams was a man of complete honor and rock solid integrity. Adam's ego was his Achille's heel, he knew it, Abigail knew it, everyone knew it, and yet time and again he set his ego aside and did the right thing. Adam's was a frugal man and yet generous. His legacy to education and the way the Adam's raised their children, and the expectations they set for them, and Adam's total fatherly devotion to his family exemplify his character.
On the other hand we have Jefferson, carousing with one married woman after another in Paris, sending for his likely concubine, Sally Hemmings, to act as a totally unqualified caretaker for his daughter Mary, relying on Abigail Adams to step into the breach.
And of course Adam's was adamant in his opposition to slavery. Contrast Jefferson to Washington in this regard. Washington went to great lengths to prepare his slaves for freedom via trade skills and was a rather liberal slave holder in terms of allowing his slaves to use their skills to earn money and went to great pains not to separate families. And of course Washington freed his slaves at his death. Jefferson, apparently, for a visionary could not see beyond his spendthrift ways and his slaves suffered for it, being sold off without regard to family to pay his debts at his death.
Adams was a man on unquestionable integrity and honor who when tested overcame his innate faults. On the other hand, IMO, Jefferson was consumed by his foibles. IMO, Adams is very underrated.
With a few quibbles, I overwhelmingly endorse this post.
His one failing was with regard to his children, except of course John Quincy, the eldest. He was largely absent for all but him (he took him along on European travels at an early age). Charles of course died of alcoholism or suicide as a young man. His daughter, Nabby I guess made some very poor choices, particularly of husbands. The fact is he could not have done what he did for the country without being part-time as a parent, as best.
As far as carousing in Paris, that was the norm. Ben Franklin was a worse offender. Also, with regard to slavery, Adams was not quite there with abolitionism or opposition, if you believe the book I referenced in the OP. On the other hand that book was decidedly neutral in Jefferson's favor. The final words of the book were: "To be an American is not to be someone, but to believe in something. And that something is what Jefferson declared.That's why we honor Jefferson and not Adams." Jefferson may have said it; he may not have lived it.
On the other hand we have Jefferson, carousing with one married woman after another in Paris, sending for his likely concubine, Sally Hemmings, to act as a totally unqualified caretaker for his daughter Mary, relying on Abigail Adams to step into the breach.
In further defense of Jefferson on this issue, his wife Martha died in 1782, after nine or ten years of marriage. He was a widow at that point. Also as I pointed out above, a better benchmark was Ben Franklin.
Adams, no question, was a married man and behaved like one. Given Abigail's obvious intelligence and forceful personality, if you were Adams would you have been any different? See this exchange of letters, and word-search "saucy." (link)
On top of Jefferson's accomplishments in the early stages of the establishment of independence and the government up through his presidency, I have always admired his curiosity and his other accomplishments. His interests and curiosity were insatiable. For me, Adams would have been a hard person to like. Jefferson would have been more interesting to me even if not likable. Jefferson was one who would push the envelope of what was possible. The Louisianna Purchase might be one example of that. Adams was a stable genius, to coin a phrase, and carried the republic onward after Washington and through some difficult times. I think he was the right man for that job. Washington and Adams paved the way for Jefferson with 12 years of presidential precedence. I'm not sure that Jefferson could have followed Washington as successfully. He was not a cooperative vice-president to Adams. The Adams reputation improved in popular history in recent years. He was not all that popular when I was in school compared to Jefferson. I lived in the capital of Missouri, officially the City of Jefferson, for 37 years so that might also be partly responsible for my perception.
since it is Saturday night...some fun:
"I'm blind, I'm deaf, I wanna be a ref!"
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, and carried the republic onward after Washington and through some difficult times. I think he was the right man for that job. Washington and Adams paved the way for Jefferson with 12 years of presidential precedence. I'm not sure that Jefferson could have followed Washington as successfully. He was not a cooperative vice-president to Adams. The Adams reputation improved in popular history in recent years. He was not all that popular when I was in school compared to Jefferson. I lived in the capital of Missouri, officially the City of Jefferson, for 37 years so that might also be partly responsible for my perception.
