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John Adams - the most unsung Founding Father

posted 9 years ago by eholzapfel26
12 replies | jump to latest

John Adams was:

·An elected delegate for Massachusetts to both the First and Second Continental Congresses;
·A major driving force behind the American Revolution (as shown in the movie);
·One of the five members to serve on the Declaration of Independence Committee;
·A staunch Abolitionist for his entire life (while Ben Franklin, another well-known Abolitionist, actually owned slaves at one time, and while Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration, owned slaves his whole life!);
·One of the newly founded United States' first delegates to Holland, France & England;
·The first U.S. Vice President under George Washington;
·The second President of the United States;
·The "father" of the United States Navy;
·The first President to occupy the White House in Washington D.C.;
·In office when he averted war with France;
·The first President to be the father of another President...

...and yet his face is on none of our money and there are no monuments or statues dedicated to him in Washington D.C. while there are ones dedicated to founding fathers and Presidents who came before and after him.

[–] disinterested_spectator 9 years ago

All that you say is true. And yet, the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of John Adams is responsibility for the Alien and Sedition Acts, a direct violation of the First Amendment. Is that worse that being a slave owner like Franklin or Jefferson? Probably not. But it definitely puts a bad taste in my mouth regarding Adams.

[–] eholzapfel26 9 years ago

Those Acts were added as a direct repsonse to the French Revolution which had international ramifications. Almost every President has implemented policies that can be argued as in violation of an Amendment or as unconstitutional (if there's any doubt take a look at the current one!).

And controversial policies are usually enacted as a response to extreme circumstances (war, espionage, foreign turmoil or threat, terrorism, insurencies, etc. ... Today unconstitutional policies are implemented due to things like Political Correctness or establishing a legacy.)

The point is, all Presidents and Founding Fathers had their faults. But Adams is among the most integral in the founding of the U.S. as an independant nation, yet he is one of the most un-celebrated in comparison to his contributions as one of the most important figures in American history.

P.S. Seems we could use some revised & updated "Alien & Sedition" Acts right now! 😜

[–] srnumber9 9 years ago

John Adams was a great revolutionary but a pretty poor politician. He was confrontational, loud and pushy. He didn't know how to cuddle with his opponents or accept defeat graciously. (He is the only president other than Nixon to sneak out of town to skip his successor's inauguration, and Nixon had a lot better excuse!)

The "obnoxious and disliked" label is straight out of his own writings!

He ruffled a lot of feathers in his day and people didn't forget it either.

-Still, a genuinely great man who deserves more recognition than he's received.

There come times when the best guy for the job isn't the nicest guy.

"This is a REVOLUTION Dammit!! We're going to have to offend SOMEBODY!!"

[–] eholzapfel26 9 years ago

Interestingly, being "obnoxious and disliked" was Adams' own observation of himself. There are no records of anyone else saying those things about him. He was very aware of his own failings and wrote much about his desire to correct them.

Unlike other politicians, he did not engage in mud-slinging, gossip or spreading rumors, nor would he tolerate hearing such even about people he didn't like or his political opponenets.

One of my theories why Adams is not recognized is physical - look at who has monuments & statues in Washington D.C. ... Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln. All over six foot, all very lean and statuesque men. Adams was short, pudgy and not good looking. I think that has something to do with it, just like the fact that, among Presidential candidates, the taller usually won.

[–] srnumber9 9 years ago

In Adams' writings it is actually "Disliked and Obnoxious", but I guess the opposite has nicer rhythm for song lyrics!

He's a really interesting man: for example what's is little discussed about him is when the British troops fired on the crowd (mob?) at the Boston Massacre, they were actually arrested and put on trial.

-John Adams was not only their defense attorney, but got acquittals too.

This cost him points among Boston Radicals, but his sense of fairness demanded that if there was going to be a trial, it had better well not become a kangaroo court: those soldiers would get a proper defense.

Say what you will about him: he lived a life of service to his ideals. He often failed and doesn't deserve to be considered anything more than human, but as much as any of the Founding Fathers, he gave it everything he had.

We are going on vacation near Boston this summer. we will visit Braintree again, this time so my son can see it.

John Adams, the seasoned and experienced politician, was then called upon. Adam’s said, “There are three reasons why I should not accept this honor: first, I am disliked and obnoxious, so the document would lack credibility; second, it should be written by a Virginian; and third…, Thomas Jefferson is ten times a better writer than I.”

[–] JKearse 9 years ago

John Adams is not unsung. He was a great founding father, and he is rightfully credited for it.

I think the most unsung founding father is Roger Sherman, Connecticut. Read about him. He was an incredible man and amazingly important to the founding of our country. And nobody knows who he was (well, very few.)

Now, I don't mean this as a slap in the face to your post. I agree that Adams was important. You make some great points about his accomplishments.

[–] eholzapfel26 9 years ago

It's just that his level of historical importance does not seem as recognized as some others, especially in light of his list of contributions.
He's not on any currency (while the 3rd President is on a bill and a coin, and has a major memorial in the capital). Adams doesn't have a single memorial or major statue (that I'm aware of) in Washington D.C.

Keep in mind, he was number 2 to George Washington - as both the first Vice President and 2nd President, and he beat Thomas Jefferson in the first real U.S. Presidential election (Washington was "elected" to both a 1st and a 2nd term, but ran unopposed.)

[–] srnumber9 9 years ago

I wonder if maybe the most unsung founding father is actually John Dickinson?

He was an early critic of British colonial policy, did in fact serve in the Continental Army and a great contributor to the US constitution. Even as somebody initially opposed to Independence, he served by forcing the proponents to make reasoned choices.

-unfortunately his reputation is mainly from our beloved "1776" as a snotty prig who stood in John Adams' way. For a lot of people he appeared in and disappeared from history all within blocks of Independence Hall.

It's not that he deserves to be chiseled on Mount Rushmore or anything, he just deserves better than he's gotten!

[–] Information-Police (4890) 6 years ago

Well, he was obnoxious and disliked.

[–] HarlemEagle42 (17865) a year ago

Perhaps unfair but yeah, people remember others for their personality than their deeds more often than not.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (6400) a year ago

Agreed!
Though "staunch abolitionist" might give a bit of the wrong idea. He was always against slavery, but never tried to do anything against it, either, despite his many positions of political power. There is a quote in which he says something like "we must let our brethren in Virginia figure this one out".

[–] Luffy (1236) a year ago

I think he was the only Founding Father (if memory serves right) who once tried to suppress the freedom of speech. That and the considerable worship of Jefferson and Washington did not help. Also, unlike with the Bushes, the son was the better intellectual, and the better President. Anyway John Adams was more of a much sung unsung hero.