On this day before the celebration of our nation's 235th Independence Day, I thought I might reflect on a biography of John Adams, written by David McCollough. It is a highly interesting view into the fascinating life of a man who is perhaps more important to the founding of this nation than any other man.
The two American Revolutionary stalwarts George Washington and Thomas Jefferson often overshadow John Adams. Adams, who was the second U.S. President, was also the first Vice President.
A member of the Massachusetts delegation to the Continental Congress, Adams was deeply devoted to the cause of liberty. Often chided publicly for his vanity, he had of talent for persuasion in the Congress was second to none. People often perceived Adams depending on which side of the coin they were to him. Despite his ability to rail against an argument, his ability to welcome and respect his adversaries was legendary.
Adams learned his approach from his father, himself a politician and church deacon. Adams Sr. was also a farmer and he taught a love for all things farming to his son, who likewise grew into a firm appreciation for the nuance that a natural balance in life can bring.
Balance was a theme, which would ring true throughout John Adams' life. His profession was in the practice of law. His devotion to the law as a means of ensuring a just society is nowhere better demonstrated than in a trial just before hostilities broke out. Several British troops were being tried for firing into an unarmed crowd. During the proceedings, Adams was able to prove that the musket that was initially discharged was the result of the weapon falling to the ground, itself the result of a club attack against the soldier. The trial results were very successful with almost all being acquitted and one found guilty of a lesser offense Although Adams' law practice did suffer from his association to the case, he did his duty, knowing it to the proper and just thing to do.
Adams' reputation for fairness and balance would lead him into the Congress, where he would be instrumental in persuading even the most strident anti-independency advocates that the only way that the colonies would be free of the tyrannies of the mother country would be to make a formal declaration of independency. Facing incredible opposition from the New York and Pennsylvania delegations, the process took more than a year, but in the end, he was successful and the document was adopted in July 235 years ago.
The British Crown placed so high a value on Adams' participation that in the list of those who would have received a pardon if the colonies had acquiesced to the demands of England, Adams' name was notably absent. If he were to have been captured during the hostilities, he would have surely been hanged. To Adams, the cost of failing in the war of independence would have been a grave injury to his own heart and to the nation he loved.
When called to serve as a representative to the Court of Luis XVI, Adams readily accepted the assignment, though he knew it would mean a long separation from his wife Abigail and their children for many months. Crossing the ocean in the bad season was a fearful time. Not only did the ship suffer damage from storms, Adams likewise was found to be participating in combat when his ship encountered a British flagged and armed vessel. Adams’ bravery was in the ship’s captain’s report to Congress.
Adams joined Benjamin Franklin in pressing the French to support the colonies effort against the British. Their combined efforts led to an alliance that provided the colonies with naval and additional ground forces to eventually turn the tide of war in the colonies favor.
As a diplomat, there would ultimately be no single person with as much total experience as Minister Adams. Among his many successes, he became senior diplomat to France and the first American Ambassador to England. It was with some satisfaction that Adams found himself before Charles III, especially since he was on the hang on site list.
In his role as Minister to the Netherlands, Adams became perhaps the man most responsible for securing the future of his new country. In pressing for the financing of the newly independent states war effort, he secured the money the U.S. needed to pay for French Troops and ships, as well as keep the Congress in enough cash to pay the American troops.
It was Adams who led the draft letters for the treaty of Paris, and who strenuously argued that it would be key to removing the British if the debts owed to former loyalists for property confiscated or to legitimate debts owed the crown for commercial interests prior to the war were paid in full. King George supposedly remarked to Adams upon their final meeting before Adams' recall to the U.S., that he might be assured the treaty obligations owed by British would be delivered in full as soon as the new America honored hers. It was a sad footnote that it would take decades to make this happen.
Prior to leaving the diplomatic corps, Adams wrote at length and breakneck pace a book that was to become instrumental in determining the direction of the new Constitution that was being developed. Many years earlier, he wrote a book entitled, "Thoughts on Government" in which he laid out the foundations of the concept of a government of law, not of men. The book, drawn largely from his views and experiences was founded upon a detailed study of the great republics of antiquity. Adams recognized that government must have a natural balance and that competing interests necessarily would find the right path. He also strongly advocated for the formation of a truly independent judiciary and these concepts first found fertile ground in the adoption of the Massachusetts Constitution, which Adams drafted almost singlehandedly.
In his new book, Adams extended at length the need for a legislature that was bicameral in nature. To Adams's way of thinking, a single house would open itself to eventual tyranny by those in power creating laws that would further cement their base of power. It is interesting to note that he was very much opposed to an open ability to serve as president for life (if reelection was successful). He mentioned in correspondence to Thomas Jefferson, then serving as Minister to France, that it would be best if a man served one term of four years and forever thereafter be forbidden to serve in that capacity. Nearly 180 years later Adams would be vindicated as the U.S. ratified the 22nd amendment, limiting Presidential office to two elected terms and ten total years.
Upon his return to his new and free country, many inquired as to his prospects for the future. Despite his penchant for vanity, Adams was said to have remained silent on his position other than seeking retirement. Privately, he confided in family members that if asked to serve as Vice President he would, but that would be the least position he would consider.
Adams found that the country he left had transformed. Close friends were in loud opposition to the new Constitution, fearing that its purpose was to set up a new king or a kind of aristocracy. While Adams disagreed with these assertions, he also felt the values present in pre-war America were shifting. He did not believe that the ends of government should great an equal outcome society, but rather one of equal freedom. He believed that chance natural differences in aptitude and application would create a kind of natural aristocracy. There would always be those, who through their efforts and talents, tend to be more successful that others. The challenge to the government would fall, in how to ensure that the average man would be affected by laws, not in the restriction of those who Adams believe would eventually lead in business, trade and even politics.
While it is fairly certain that Adams was to become the first Vice President, there was some political backroom dealing brought it to be. Mandated by the new constitution, the person with the second highest number of votes would become vice president. Due to Virginia's large wealth, size and population, many felt that it was necessary to secure the Presidency of George Washington as vitally important to the survival to the new nation. To that end, there was an active lobbying effort by some to dissuade electors from voting for Adams first. While Adams clearly supported General Washington, he was quite dismayed that the wrangling of votes cut so many away from him. He received only 34 votes to Washington's 79 unanimous votes. It was just one wound of many Adams felt throughout his life.
Political wrangling would likewise haunt Adams, who eventually would succeed Washington as the nation's second President. Adams, and his son John Quincy Adams served only one term of four years. There appears to be ample evidence that Alexander Hamilton was instrumental in poisoning the electors away from Adams at a time when Adams was aggressively seeking to avoid hostilities with the French. Even as president, Adams continued to press for peace all around him. He ardently sought to avoid any entanglements in the wars of Europe. It had seemed that the experiment in the U.S. was beginning to have profound impact in the Old World, even as Adams had predicted much earlier in his life.
Adams, who saw and felt the value of a standing naval force, was instrumental in the creation of the US Navy. Naval power, to Adams, was as crucially important as any other single thing the government could provide. It would ensure secure trade routes and protect against international aggression. Philosophically, Adams believed that a role of government was to promote a public educational system and saw education as the lynchpin in developing a prosperous nation. He felt so strongly in this area that he included provisions of this philosophy in the Massachusetts Constitution.
The life of Adams, who died on Independence Day, 1826, was fraught with great peril and sacrifice. On the 50th anniversary of the great experiment, an imperfect man with a perfect desire to propel his nation forward, himself passed into history. By virtue of the undying spirit Adams possessed and a tireless application to that which he felt important, let this become a lesson to each of us today. As we consider the 235th anniversary of the greatest governmental experiment ever undertaken, let us remember the sacrifice of John Adams and apply it to the future value of our nation today.
For those who might be interested, the book by David McCollough was the foundation of a seven part HBO miniseries of the same title. A fascinating story of arguably the greatest American who served during the founding is something that perhaps we can take time out of our lives to study.
Best Wishes to all this birthday of our country. Let us all renew our endeavors to make the ideals of our founders into the reality they would have wanted.
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