There are many reasons to praise historian David McCullough. He has written a number of remarkable books on American history, celebrating our nation’s heroes and reminding us of their accomplishments. Last summer, I thoroughly enjoyed his book, 1776, about (what his arguably) the most crucial year in American history. He showed how after suffering great losses, George Washington, rallied his troops on (what then seemed) a quixotic quest to take on the British and their Hessian mercenary supporters.
McCullough shows through sheer determination — against great odds, the Father of our Country snatched victory from the jaws of what seemed inevitable defeat for the first American patriots. It was that determination which would lead that great man through five more years of war, the constitutional convention and eight tumultuous years as the First President of this great nation.
And much as that book paid tribute to our First President, it was a book McCullough published five years ago for which I — and countless other patriots — am especially grateful. You see, since I was a boy, I have long been a fan of our Second President, John Adams, a truly great man whom, until recently, all too many in America seem to have forgotten. In our nation’s capital, we have great monuments to Washington and Thomas Jefferson, our Third President, but only one building of the Library of Congress named for this remarkable man from Massachusetts.
And yet were it not for John Adams, we would not have achieved the independence we celebrate today. While George Washington led patriots to victory on the battlefield and while Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence, it was John Adams who fought “fearlessly for every word” of the great charter written by his good, but taciturn, friend from Virginia. As Thomas Jefferson himself said (as McCullough recounts on page 135 of his biography of our nation’s first Vice President):
No man better merited, than Mr. John Adams to hold a most conspicuous place in the design. He was the pillar of its support on the floor of Congress, its ablest advocate and defender against the multifarious assaults it encountered.
No text survives of the great speech John Adams gave on July 1, 1776, moving passage of the Declaration, but so compelling were his words that the New Jersey delegation whose members arrived an hour after the speech had begun, begged him to “repeat what they had missed.” After some prodding, Adams complied. New Jersey’s Reverend John Witherspoon offered a slight correction to a statement by his Massachusetts’ colleague:
The distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts remarked that when we came in that the colonies are ripe for independence. I would like to add that some colonies are rotten for the want of it.
The remarks of the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts carried the day and the Continental Congress unanimously approved the Declaration. As Jack Shepherd wrote, “Adams’s persistence won.” Where we have George Washington’s determination on the battlefield, Thomas Jefferson’s eloquence on paper, we have John Adams’ persistence in debate.
Thanks to David McCullough’s biography of this great man, the American people once again recognize the greatness of this oft-forgotten founder. The success of the book delighted me. It quickly climbed to the top of a number of bestseller lists — and stayed there for many months.
Tonight, in honor of that great man, I will watch a movie with the same title of one of David McCullough’s books, 1776, a somewhat cheesy flick which has long been one of my favorites. This film retells, in musical form, how John Adams pressed his reluctant colleagues in the Continental Congress to vote for independence. And while it is not entirely historically accurate (it, for example, does not show the great friendship between Adams and Jefferson), it is quite entertaining and even touching at times. One duet between Adams and his beloved wife Abigail nearly always brings me to tears.
What better way for a gay patriot to celebrate July 4th than to experience a musical rendition of our nation’s founding. A story which allows us once against to remember and the passion and persistence of one of our nation’s greatest men — and first patriots. John Adams.
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com
Dan I’ve read both 1776 and John Adams . I not only learned a lot about the men that toiled for our freedom but found the telling very enjoyable. There are men like them serving us today. Most of us will be dead and gone by the time they are appreciated. That’s always the way of it.
I happen to be reading that book at the moment. Adams is in France for the second time, trying to work around Vergenne’s goal to provide war support with the outcome of making the Americas a satelite of France.
Another wonderfully fantastic read is called “The Long Fuse”. I don’t remember the author, but it looks at the revolutionary war and the events leading up to it from the Brittish perspective.
I haven’t read either, unfortunately. However, I am listening to the Politically Incorrect Guide to American History on Mp3. There’s lot’s of stuff that I either forgot or sorta knew about.
Happy 4th
Kudos, Dan, on all three works! “1776” is, indeed, one of my favorite movies as well.
“I am obnoxious & disliked, you know that, sir…”
Marvelous lyrics!
Eric in Hollywood
Ah the movie 1776 was great and hope it was real but know much was made up. Loved many of the songs but really felt Adams’ pain during the song Does anybody care. Loved the man playing Franklin. Have read Franklin’s book and the adams bio. Just think how many wound up broke and ruined after the war. They paid the price and we benefited from it. How many of us would do that?????
For a different (albeit patriotic) perspective on John Adams, read the novel “Those Who Love,” the story of John and Abigail Adams by Irving Stone. The reader gets to see the young couple as they go through the war, John’s ambassadorship, his vice presidency, presidency and his son’s political life.
To me, the best part of the novel is when Abigail herself counts up the unofficial tally of electoral votes from the states at her home in Braintree as John is counting them in the Congress. She pens the following elegy to her husband:
“The sun is dressed in its finest beams to give thee glory. Today you are allowed to call yourself the head of a nation.”
It’s a fascinating read. You can find it at Amazon under the author’s name.
Regards,
Peter H.
1776?
Its difficult to view Ken Howard (The White Shadow) as Thomas Jefferson without getting all vaklempt. Or maybe nauseous, something like that.
Ick.
This movie set the standard for bad movie musicals. At least until Xanadu came along.
And what, may I ask, was wrong with Xanadu?
I think someone pissed in Gryph’s corn flakes…
Eric in Hollywood
Gryph apparently is every bit as good a judge of movies as he is of politics, sadly.
BTW, Ken Howard was in the original Broadway cast of 1776 as was everyone in the film.
I truly love what John Adams was. He and later his son John Q. gave more. wrote more, worked harder, supported more, and believed more in the United States than any group or family I can think of over a longer period of time. They were not really politicians, they were far above it. To say their name is almost like stating a national anthem…They made what is America, granted they had their problems. But when you compare Adams against Jefferson you can see what little Jefferson really was….I know many will disagree. But I feel that this country would never be what it was if it were not for Adams.