July 4th, also known as Independence Day, just passed us by. There are 2 things I love about this holiday. The first is watching the awkward reaction from unfortunate Brits who happen to be in the country when the fireworks fly. I wonder if they still miss owning this place.
The second is reading about the Founding Fathers. Regardless of how often I immerse myself in the thoughts and actions of those men who built this incredible nation with its unmatched dedication to freedom and opportunity; their intelligence and bold political insight never fail to amaze me. They had the courage to declare independence from the most powerful empire in the world. And they authored an interconnected system of checks and balances rooted in law, religion, and an extension of the philosophical social contract. How did these men turn their daring experiment into the greatest country and republic to ever exist when so many failed revolutions in the past and present led to unbridled chaos, wanton destruction, and ultimately the return of a tyrant or oligarch?
Take France for example. 10 years after our revolution, the French violently overthrew the Bourbon monarchy. A mere decade later Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself the Emperor of the French. Their revolution to usurp the the ruling hand of one autocrat led them directly to the ruling hand of another autocrat.
Why did America get it right? The answer to that question is in large part thanks to the man who is the subject of this blog: John Adams.
The lawyer from Braintree, Massachusetts is one of the most important Americans who ever lived. Yet there is only a smattering of literature marking his contribution to the nation’s founding that can be easily extracted. Few Americans know anything about the portly man, and what they do know tends toward the negative and wrongfully critical (something I discussed when I rated the John Adams mini-series on HBO.) Today I’m going to highlight 10 fascinating details about the life of our 2nd Commander in Chief, and why we owe him the highest praise when we pop those beers and celebrate our independence. Let’s dive in…
10. John Adams was born in Braintree, Massachusetts on October 30, 1735
Friends and family describe the Massachusetts lawyer and farmer as hard working, ambitious, vain and stubborn. While those descriptions bear some truth, John Adams was, to his core, a man who valued honor, integrity, justice, and truth above all else. He revered his father, John Adam’s Sr., a deacon at the local church and a farmer himself.
The young Adams displayed an wealth of intelligence that became apparent to those around him. His brilliance, along with his propensity towards academia and books earned him a spot at Harvard University where he studiously pursued law. In the following decades he became renowned as Boston’s greatest lawyer.
John employed a fierce work ethic, often waking up before 5 in the morning and performing services until well past sundown. Ambition preoccupied his mind, but he adhered to Roman notions of honor and valor. He rejected moving oneself up the ladder for the sole purpose of acquiring fame and glory.
John was an avid book worm. When he found himself pinched for money, he remarked that the 2 commodities worth emptying his wallet for included food and books. Ancient Greek and Roman history, as well as English poetry were among his favorite literary topics.
However, nothing more aptly describes John than his gift to gab. He was a notable orator which, along with his legal mind, was considered by many to be his greatest asset. He was never bereft of expressing an opinion. His desire to share it with anyone who listened would sometimes earn him the ire of his peers. John once proclaimed in a letter how he wished to master the art of silence at times, a trait he found very admirable in George Washington.
9. There is no Declaration of Independence without John Adams
John once stated that the American Revolution began in the minds of the Americans long before the first shots were fired and blood shed. While it seems obvious in hindsight, a complete severance from Great Britain was anything but certain.
A decade of heavy taxes levied on the colonies turned John toward the idea of Independence. Even though Great Britain repealed most of the taxes, John observed that the real crime underneath had been the violation of American civil rights by imposing the tax without the consent of the governed. John’s vision of forming a Republic drew inspiration from the law, ancient Greek philosophy, and contemporary thinkers like John Locke and their theories on the social contract.
The 2nd Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in 1775 to address these concerns. But only John Adams pushed for Independence from the very start. He had great personal stakes supporting his lofty dream. The first battles of Revolutionary War broke out in his hometown. His wife and children could hear the boom and burst of cannons from British guns camped in Boston’s Harbor. Their proximity to the harrowing sounds of war must have terrified them. However, most of congress balked at the idea of Independence. Unlike Massachusetts, their colonies enjoyed favorable terms with King George III. Plus, Independence meant going to war with England. Not only did they fear losing (a very probable outcome), but they understood that if they were to fail, parliament would brand them as traitors and send them to the Hangman’s Noose.
To persuade a reluctant Congress, Adams formed a political alliance with Dr. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. He used Franklin’s reputation and Jefferson’s high approval to persuade congress. Highly impressed by Jefferson’s literary talents, John appointed him to write the Declaration of Independence. He also crucially appointed George Washington to lead the revolution. He recognized a rare and unmistakable leadership quality in the future Commander in Chief.
The original draft of the Declaration held a clause condemning the evils of slavery. But Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson had to remove it to appease the Southern Colonies who threatened to abandoned the revolution otherwise.
On July 2nd, Adams and Franklin presented the Declaration of Independence to Congress. It was officially adopted on July 4th. Through perseverance, remarkable leadership, and willingness to adapt and negotiate – John Adams turned his dream into reality.
“All good government is republican, and the true idea of a republic is an empire of laws, not of men”
“Objects of the most stupendous magnitude, measures in which the lives and liberties of millions, born and unborn are most essentially interested, are now before us. We are in the very midst of revolution, the most complete, unexpected, and remarkable of any in the history of the world.”
– John Adams
8. John Adams’ perilous voyage across the Atlantic nearly cost him his life
In November of 1777 Congress appointed John as commissioner to France. His job was to strike an alliance with the powerful nation so that they could provide desperately needed military aid to the war effort. He would serve alongside Ben Franklin.
However, the timing of this appointment meant the Bostonian would have to cross the Atlantic in the middle of winter when the seas were at their most dangerous. In addition to hostile waters and fierce gales, John would confront the very real possibility of being captured by any of the numerous British vessels that commanded those waters. And to keep his voyage secret, John and his 10-year-old son John Quincy were whisked away in the middle of the night to board the Boston at an undisclosed location. John mentioned his departure to no one. Clients, as well as friends were left in the dark when correspondence with John unexpectedly stopped.
The Boston departed from American shores in February 1778. Due to the inclement weather, the journey that normally took 3 weeks stretched out to more than 6 weeks, according to historian David McCullough.
On just the 2nd day at sea The Boston encountered 3 British frigates. Luckily the ship managed to outrun them. However, the following night lightning struck the ship’s mast and set them hundreds of miles off course.
Nearly a month later, the Boston ran into another British sail. This time the ships engaged one another. The Boston emerged victorious and the captain lauded John Adams for fighting on deck alongside his marines. The ship docked at Bordeaux at the end of March. That John survived the odyssey is something akin to a miracle. However, John soon learned that France had already declared an alliance with America, essentially rendering his mission pointless.
…to be continued