Hail to the Chiefs Part II: For God's Sake John, Sit Down!
One day my middle school music teacher, in one of his usual fits of frustration, yelled at one of the boys "For God's sake, Jon, SIT DOWN!!" Then he surprised us all by starting to giggle. He explained that it was a line from the musical 1776. I was intrigued and went to check it out. To this day, I always picture John Adams as he was in that show. And while I'd highly recommend the HBO John Adams miniseries....there is just no way John Adams spoke in the hushed tones that Paul Giamatti used. Here's what I think he REALLY sounded like:
John Adams is easily one of my favorite presidents. I've always been fond of the cantankerous little bald guy from New England who was more concerned with his integrity than his career.
It started with the very poorly named "Boston Massacre" in 1770. An incident between some civilians and British soldiers resulted in shots being fired, and 5 dead civilians. John Adams got the unenviable task of having to be the defense lawyer for the British soldiers. And he WON. Adams proved that the soldiers had been antagonized by civilians.
Adams later joined the Continental Congress....and thus began his 4th grade girl relationship with fellow founding fathers Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. His friendships with both men remind me of 4th grade girls because pretty much it alternates between them being BFF one day...and Adams sulking and not speaking to them the next. Granted, it didn't exactly help that Jefferson lead a smear campaign behind Adams back that helped defeat Adams' re-election campaign.
Once the Revolutionary War got going, Adams spent a lot of time in Europe trying to get money for the effort from the French and the Dutch. He didn't do so well with the French. Adams didn't have the aristocratic grace of Thomas Jefferson...or the "Helloooooo ladies!!" charm of Benjamin Franklin. He did, however manage to get money out of the Dutch....which is downright miraculous when you think about it. For my fellow Sheboyganites reading this, picture it this way: You go to a bank, or to some community leaders in Oostburg. You ask "Can I borrow a million dollars? My friends and I want to try and defeat the most powerful military in the world!" No small feat!
So it was kind of anti-climactic for him when he became the 1st Vice-President of the U.S. in 1789. His description of the job was: "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived."
He wasn't much happier as president. He didn't really have the people skills for the job either. He got along just as badly with the people in his own party, the Federalists, as with the Anti-Federalists. People would make fun of him and refer to him as "his rotundity." His only major success as a president was preventing a war, and even that came too late to help his re-election.
The big thing Adams DID have going for him, throughout this whole bleak period was his relationship with his wife Abigail...one of the great love stories of the Revolutionary War Era. And really...something he had over Jefferson and Franklin as neither of those two were very good at the whole husband and father thing. John and Abigail clearly adored each other, and also very much had an equal partnership...almost unheard of in the 18th century. Lately, with all this talk comparing Michelle Obama to Jackie Kennedy....I think "No...she's Abigail Adams with more style."
Finally, probably one of the more endearing traits was predictions or declarations he'd make that were ALMOST accurate. For example, his prediction after the Declaration of Independence was signed was that date "will be the most memorable epocah in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated bythe succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival...It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with sows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more." And what was the date that Independence Day would be celebrated, according to Adams? July 2nd!
On July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, with his son John Quincy Adams in the White House, John Adams died. Reportedly one of his last words were "Thomas Jefferson survives." Once again, he was ALMOST right. Jefferson had died a few hours earlier. D'oh!
Keeping with my last entry, here's the muppet portrayal of John Adams. I had two choices...one with Ernie playing John Adams, and one with Fozzie playing him. I figured Fozzie was the better choice...more rotund, wanting to be number one but stuck being second banana...Ernie would have made a better Benjamin Franklin.
ETA: Recommended reading " John Adams" by David McCullough