Posted on 03/19/2008 6:01:31 AM PDT by rellimpank
Thanks to the marketing power of HBO, John Adams is no longer the forgotten American revolutionary — at least for a week.
Adams feared his role would be neglected. Thomas Jefferson got all the credit for writing the Declaration of Independence, even though Adams was on that committee and had suggested that Jefferson draft it, since he was a better writer and a Virginian. (Adams wanted some geographic diversity to bind the southern colonies with New England in a common cause.)
For the same geopolitical reason, Adams proposed that George Washington of Virginia command the Continental Army. Adams also worked with Benjamin Franklin, the best-known American of the day. Little wonder that Adams predicted that future histories of the Revolution would recount that "Dr. Franklin's electrical rod smote the earth and out sprung General Washington. That Franklin electrified him with his rod and thence forward these two conducted all the policy, negotiation, legislation, and war."
Over the years, John Adams was also upstaged by his wife, Abigail. On March 31, 1776, as the Continental Congress discussed independence, she wrote to him that "in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. . . . We are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation."
(Excerpt) Read more at denverpost.com ...
Heh...probably similar to my growing up in Virginia experience. When I took American History in college and we focused on Massachusetts, my first thought was "why are we talking about these guys?"
He growed up good after St. Elsewhere, didn't he?
Actually, not true at all.
The Sedition Act did not criminalize criticism of the Federal government.
What it did was effectively criminalize libel against the Federal government - as if the Federal government was a individual who could be injured by libelous publications.
It wasn't a good law and Jefferson was right in allowing it to expire - but don't let's pretend that it was something different than it was.
If anyone of the founders is OVERRATED it is that Proto-Limo Liberal Jacobin symphathizer Jefferson. Cheering on European radicalism from his huge plantation. The fact that he died nearly bankrupt (from excessive traveling and wine collecting, among other things) really provides insight into the temperment/fiscal responsability of TJ.
Hamilton, Washington, and Madison are my faves. The only good thing the AntiFederalists gave us was the Bill of Rights.
The actual physical draft of the Declaration with Franklin’s edits, the exact ones in the film, exists today.
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/declara/images/draft1.jpg
I’m sure your expertise is called for here.
Yes, that rang false.
But was it changed based on it being too religious?
Sedition Act of 1798 – A Brief History of Arrests, Indictments, Mistreatment & Abuse
mark
Hey, that's pretty cool! I missed my one and only opportunity to be an extra in Shawshank Redemption, which was filmed (at least the outside scenes) close to where I lived, in Mansfield OH. The old Ohio State Reformatory has been used by Hollywood for several films, including Tango and Cash, and a brief scene in AirForce One.
How are ya, Corin? Haven't talked in quite a while.
It really depends on the production company. McCullough was involved in this production, so I don't think this is going to be revised history.
John Adams had a chip on his shoulder and was highly resentful of anyone who appeared to be more successful than him. His rather bitter personality meant that he would never enjoy the personal adulation or respect of the other founders. I would have rather spent time with Newark’s own Aaron Burr at his Harlem estate than a minute with John Adams.
Doin’ okay. Busier than I should be. And yourself?
My son’s “moment” was very brief. We had to play it back and stop it frame by frame to find him. He was only able to do one day because it required missing school. When Adams meets the group after the first battle (in the woods), my son runs behind Paul Giamati.
But hey, he got $100 for that 5 seconds of “fame.”
So far a good miniseries.Better than the usual mindless stuff on TV these days(Reality shows,etc).Can you imagine if the original framers of this country were dropped into the 21st century what their reactions would be.I look forward to watching the rest.
A disclaimer;I am a descendant of John Adams,or so I’ve been told by one old family members who did the research back in the day.
The article you posted is rather tendentious, however.
Well, the article was written by a librarian (no offense to librarians here), but I think the facts cited are sound.
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