7. John Adams’ mission in Paris did great damage to his reputation
Now that an alliance existed between France and the U.S., John Adams found little to occupy his time. But as he surveyed the situation, he saw problems emerging between Ben Franklin and the French Court. Franklin had achieved one of the nation’s greatest diplomatic feats when he secured France’s support for the revolution. But according to John, Franklin basically stopped working. John observed that Franklin seemed inhibited by signs of age and illness. Adams grew disturbed when at meetings, he watched the Doctor concede too much to the demands of the greater power. Adams overtook Franklin’s administrative duties by ramping up correspondence with Congress, tracking expenditures, and clearing up the mismanagement of funds and communication between the Americans and the French.
At this time, the alliance merely existed on paper. France was providing George Washington with very little in terms of ammunition, supplies, and men. Adams recognized above all else that America needed French naval assistance. He understood that the war could not be won if the British controlled the Atlantic coast. Adams relentlessly poked and prodded Franklin and the French Court for more aid, but his abrasive manner irritated the French. He quickly fell out of favor with the Court who complained to the American Congress about the Bostonian’s “poor behavior.” The nail in the coffin came when Ben Franklin sided with the French against Adams. Franklin wrote a scathing account of John’s behavior that was largely exaggerated. In this vein, Franklin committed a political betrayal that permanently severed their relationship.
Adams did not accomplish much in Paris but the poor treatment he received at the hands of the French and his political acquaintance was unfair. Despite their falling out, Adams still maintained to Congress that Franklin was America’s best choice to serve as diplomat for France. He recognizing the love and admiration the nation held for the Doctor.
6. John wrote the Constitution of Massachusetts, his home state. To this day it stands as one of the greatest legal documents ever written
In 1779 John sailed home for a brief respite. As the bloody conflict with Britain drudged on, Massachusetts held a convention and tasked John with drafting a legal constitution for the state. John pressed forth with his new obligation right away. This assignment appealed to John’s brilliant legal mind. The 4 defining points of this document worth noting include his appeal to the social compact, an emphasis on education, virtue in the form of religious worship, and defining equality.
John believed that the social compact bound the government to the consent of the governed. He stipulated that to have a thriving milieu, the governing body must protect the natural rights of its people which are granted to all by God, or their creator.
The Bostonian wrote that the government should provide ample opportunity to educate its citizens. He argued that a good government encourages people to pursue knowledge and wisdom in all forms, including the arts and sciences and literature.
He did not provide a clause promising freedom of religion, but he did articulate a “duty” by the ruling body to urge people to worship God in whatever manner they saw fit. He believed a republican government can only thrive amid a religious and virtuous people.
John stated in the drafts first article that all men are “born equally free and independent.” The delegation later revised this statement to all men being “born free and equal.” At first glance this seems like a minor change, but John disagreed. He insisted that while men were born equal in the eyes of God, they were unequal in talent and merit. Not making that distinction could result in harmful redistribution policies.
5. John played an integral role in securing favorable terms for America in the Treaty of Paris
America won a crushing victory over the British with French naval support in 1781. Washington surrounded and captured 7,000 British troops at Yorktown, which effectively (though not completely) ended the War for Independence. Great Britain decided to sue for peace 8 years after the conflict began.
John Adams would work again with Ben Franklin as well as John Jay to negotiate peace terms with England. A treaty would be signed in Paris, with the French Court moderating. But despite the great reversal in fortune, the task that lay ahead would not be easy. England, still very upset with losing its colonies, planned to keep as much territory as it could. France was also eager to use the Treaty to reclaim land in America that had been lost to them. In truth, neither country cared much for recognizing the United States. John, shrewd as ever, well understood the aims of the ambitious Europeans. He was not going to allow them to turn his country into a puppet state.
When Congress sent instructions to the commission to go along with whatever the French requested; Adams, Franklin and Jay all agreed to pursue their own terms. They essentially defied Congress.
The biggest points of contention in treaty were…
a. The U.S. border
b. Debts owed
c. Rights to trade along the Mississippi River
d. American fishing rights in Newfoundland
Discussion over America’s western boundary was the biggest issue in John’s mind. He pushed for the British to abandon the land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi. To his astonishment, the British approved. This meant the “frontier lands” Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Tennessee now belonged to the U.S. The Americans managed to achieve favorable terms on the other matters as well.
All parties signed the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, officially ending the Revolution. The world now recognized the United States as an independent nation.
4. John Adams met King George III as America’s first Ambassador to England. John’s name was top of the list of men King George intended to hang
In 1785 Congress named John as the nation’s first ambassador to England. It was a great compliment and their way of saying thank you to the man who achieved so much for the new country. His job entailed meeting King George III face-to-face. The significance of this meeting is unrivaled in American political history. The King had listed John Adams as among the traitors to visit the hangman’s noose had America lost the war.
The differences between the 2 men were quite vast. But the King and the lawyer also shared many common interests. They liked getting an early start to the day, often waking between 4:30 and 5 a.m. They were party-averse, industrious, and devoured books. King George’s favorite hobby was tending to his farm, just like the Bostonian. Both men were deeply religious, and utterly devoted to their families.
The meeting between His Majesty and the American Minister went surprisingly well. Both men treated the other with respect and cordiality. King George, amused, asked John if the rumors were true that he didn’t care for certain aspects of French Culture. John responded with, “I have no attachment but to my own country.” The King liked his answer. He told John, “An honest man will never have any other.”
…to be continued