Currently, I am in the midst David McCullough’s biographical masterpiece, John Adams. Undoubtedly, many of you have been watching HBO’s seven part mini-series based on this very book. I must admit, while I had certainly heard much of our second president, I knew very little about the man whose influence on American independence rivaled that of Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson.
John Adams was not without wit, tenacity, wisdom, and intelligence; nor was he lacking in vanity. During his time serving as an envoy to France while our country was in the bowels revolution, Adams worked closely with the great Benjamin Franklin. It was during this time that Adams perceived how very overrated that greatness was. Often times the hardworking Adams found the good Doctor to be lazy, aloof, and an overall spineless statesmen. Whether this was an astute historical account, or a reflection of Adams’ jealousy that was rooted in the widespread respect and accolades showered upon Dr. Franklin from the French Court. It was the lovely French maidens who took a particular liking of Franklin’s eccentricities.
Nevertheless, his time served in France suffered no loss on Adams’ sense of humor, who proved historically prophetic in his correspondence to long time friend Benjamin Rush. In a letter written to Rush immediately following the untimely death of the aged Franklin, Adams offered the following words predicting Franklin’s inevitable evolution during the passage of time:
The essence of the whole will be 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, legislature, and war.
This candid account was a typical rant from the oft beleaguered Adams who suffered from routine bouts of unpopularity and woe. He was a very smart man who was fully aware that he was continually overshadowed by the richer, more towering figures of the Revolution. Despite his flaws, the steadfast John Adams is a pillar of this great nation, and upon the conclusion of this great book I will provide more thorough insight into the many accomplishments of this unsung yeoman hero.
4 Comments
I have been watching the series on HBO and I have to say that it is extremely well done. Naturally, you have to be a fan of history to make it through the shows, but Paul Giamati does a great job at personifying Adams. It truly is amazing as to how responsible Adams is for our revolution and emergence as an independent country.
While I really think Paul Giamatti is a very talented actor, I find it difficult to see him as anything other than Pig Vomit.
Here is a fun fact; Paul’s father, A. Bartlett Giamatti, is not only a former President of Yale University, but he was also the Commissioner of Major League Baseball who kicked Pete Rose out of the game.
Who, Pig Vomit?
“Howard, you gotta say like Imus says it, wNNNNNNbc.”