Islands of Civility: Adams and Jefferson Bury the Hatchet
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were once friends. Then they were bitter enemies. Then, near the end of their lives, they were friends again.
In 1775, at age 33, Thomas Jefferson was one of the youngest delegates to the Second Continental Congress, at the outbreak of the American Revolution. At that Congress, a formal declaration of independence from Britain was overwhelmingly favored and as early as June of 1775, Jefferson had some ideas about the words to be contained in such a Declaration. Throughout the spring of 1776, John Adams was also thinking about independence. He began to grown increasingly impatient with the slow pace of declaring that independence. He kept busy at the Congress, helping to push through plans to support the colonial armed forces. Adams also drafted the preamble to the resolution of colleague Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, which called on the colonies to adopt new independent governments. On June 7, 1776 he seconded the resolution, which stated, "These colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states."
At the Congress, Jefferson and Adams became close friends. Adams supported Jefferson's appointment to the Committee of Five formed to draft a declaration of independence in furtherance of the Lee Resolution passed by the Congress, the document which declared the United Colonies independent. The committee initially thought that Adams should write the document, but Adams persuaded the committee to choose Jefferson. The other three members of the Committee of Five were Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston and Roger Sherman. Jefferson thought that Adams should write the document, but Adams persuaded the Committee to choose Jefferson. Adams recorded his exchange with Jefferson on the question in a letter to his wife Abigail. According to that account, the discussion was as follows: Jefferson asked, "Why will you not? You ought to do it." Adams responded, "I will not – reasons enough." Jefferson replied, "What can be your reasons?" Adams responded, "Reason first, you are a Virginian, and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second, I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular. You are very much otherwise. Reason third, you can write ten times better than I can." Jefferson replied, "Well, if you are decided, I will do as well as I can." Adams concluded, "Very well. When you have drawn it up, we will have a meeting."
Many years later Jefferson called Adams "the pillar of [the Declaration's] support on the floor of Congress, its ablest advocate and defender against the multifarious assaults it encountered." After editing the document further, Congress approved it on July 2. Twelve colonies voted in the affirmative, while New York abstained.
Following the war, the two men would play a role in the first government of the United States. Adams first saw the new United States Constitution in the fall of 1787 and he wrote to Jefferson that he read it "with great satisfaction." Adams did however express regret that the president would be unable to make appointments without Senate approval and over the absence of a Bill of Rights.
Adams was elected as the first Vice-President of the United States and Jefferson became the first Secretary of State. It was during this time that the friendship between the two men began to unravel. Much to the regret of President George Washington, factions soon developed within his cabinet and within government. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton let the Federalists, a group which supported a strong central government, which preferred neutrality in the war between England and France, and which opposed popular selection of elected leaders. Jefferson led the Republicans, which called for stronger states' rights, support for France, and a greater voice for the common man. As vice president, Adams sided with the Federalist Party. He supported Washington's policies and cast 31 tie-breaking votes, all in support of the administration, and more than any other vice president. In the summer of 1790, Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton struck a bargain. Jefferson pledged support for Hamilton's plan for the government to assume states' debts, while Madison, as a member of the House, promised to vote against it but not be "strenuous" in opposition. In exchange, the capital was temporarily moved from New York to Philadelphia, while a permanent site would be chosen on the Potomac River in order to placate Southerners. Adams cast a tie-braking nay vote against a last-minute motion to keep the capital in New York.
In 1796 the two men faced off in the race for President. Adams won the electoral college vote by a narrow margin of 71–68. Jefferson was elected vice president because of a mistake in voting for Adams's running mate. Jefferson held four confidential talks with French consul Joseph Létombe in the spring of 1797 where he attacked Adams, predicting that his rival would serve only one term. He also encouraged France to invade England, and advised Létombe to stall any American envoys sent to Paris. This toughened the tone that the French government adopted toward the Adams administration. After Adams's initial peace envoys were rebuffed, Jefferson and his supporters lobbied for the release of papers related to the incident, called the XYZ Affair. The tactic backfired when it was revealed that French officials had demanded bribes, rallying public support against France. The U.S. began an undeclared naval war with France known as the Quasi-War.
Federalists rebuilt the military, levied new taxes, and enacted the Alien and Sedition Acts. Jefferson believed that these laws were intended to suppress Democratic-Republicans, rather than prosecute enemy aliens, and considered them unconstitutional. He and James Madison anonymously wrote the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, declaring that the federal government had no right to exercise powers not specifically delegated to it by the states. Jefferson advocated nullification, allowing states to invalidate federal laws altogether.
The 1800 presidential election once again pitted Jefferson against Adams. Adams’s campaign was weakened by unpopular taxes and vicious Federalist infighting. Republicans pointed to the Alien and Sedition Acts and accused the Federalists of being secret monarchists, while Federalists called Jefferson a "godless libertine in thrall to the French". The election was "one of the most acrimonious in American history. Republicans ultimately won more electoral college votes, but Jefferson and his vice presidential candidate Aaron Burr unexpectedly received an equal total. Due to the tie, the election was decided by the Federalist-dominated House of Representatives. Federalists considered Jefferson to be a lesser political evil than Burr. On February 17, 1801, after thirty-six ballots, the House elected Jefferson president and Burr vice president.
Adams did not remain to see his opponent sworn in as president. However in early 1801, Adams sent Thomas Jefferson a brief note after returning to Quincy wishing him a happy and prosperous presidency. Jefferson failed to respond, and the two men did not speak again for nearly 12 years.
Three years later, in 1804, Abigail Adams wrote to Jefferson to express her condolences upon the death of his daughter Polly, who had stayed with the Adamses in London in 1787. This was followed by a brief correspondence between Jefferson and Mrs. Adams, but that did not go well. Abigal soon expressed criticisms of Jefferson's policies and he ended the exchange by it by not replying to Abigail's fourth letter.
Jefferson left office in March of 1809. Three years later, in early 1812, the two men resumed their relationship. During the previous year of 1811, Adams suffered a series of personal tragedies. His brother-in-law and friend Richard Cranch had died. Later that year, Cranch's widow Mary also died. Adams' daughter Nabby was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Dr. Benjamin Rush was a mutual friend of Adams and Jefferson and a fellow signer of the Declaration of Independence. He had been corresponding with both men and encouraged them to reach out to each other. On New Year's Day, Adams sent a brief, friendly note to Jefferson to accompany the delivery of "two pieces of homespun" (a two-volume collection of lectures on rhetoric by John Quincy Adams). Jefferson replied immediately with a friendly letter. This proved to be the ice-breaker and the two men revived their friendship, which they sustained through correspondence that lasted for the rest of their lives. These letters were preserved and ae considered by many to be an American literary treasure. Their letters represent an insight into both the period and the minds of the two revolutionary leaders and presidents. The exchange of letters lasted fourteen years, and consisted of 158 letters – 109 from Adams and 49 from Jefferson.
At first, Adams repeatedly tried to turn the correspondence to a discussion of their actions in the political arena. Jefferson refused to respond in kind. He told Adams, "nothing new can be added by you or me to what has been said by others and will be said in every age." Adams made one more attempt, writing "You and I ought not to die before we have explained ourselves to each other." But it was to no avail, as Jefferson declined to engage in this area of discussion. Adams accepted this, and their correspondence turned to other matters.
One of the subjects that they discussed was what Jefferson termed as "natural aristocracy." Jefferson wrote:
"The natural aristocracy I consider as the most precious gift of nature for the instruction, the trusts, and government of society. And indeed it would have been inconsistent in creation to have formed man for the social state, and not to have provided virtue and wisdom enough to manage the concerns of society. May we not even say that the form of government is best which provides most effectually for a pure selection of these natural [aristocrats] into the offices of government?"
In response, Adams wrote:
"Your distinction between natural and artificial aristocracy does not appear to me well founded. Birth and wealth are conferred on some men as imperiously by nature, as genius, strength, or beauty. When aristocracies are established by human laws and honor, wealth, and power are made hereditary by municipal laws and political institutions, then I acknowledge artificial aristocracy to commence."
As the two grew older, the letters became fewer and farther between. There were some subjects not discussed. Jefferson chose not to write about his construction of a new house, domestic turmoil, slave ownership, or his poor financial situation. Adams never mentioned the troublesome behavior of his son Thomas, who had failed as a lawyer and had become an alcoholic.
The two men died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the date both men claimed to be the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed. When Adams died, his last words were said to be "Thomas Jefferson survives." Adams was unaware that Jefferson had died several hours before.
In 1775, at age 33, Thomas Jefferson was one of the youngest delegates to the Second Continental Congress, at the outbreak of the American Revolution. At that Congress, a formal declaration of independence from Britain was overwhelmingly favored and as early as June of 1775, Jefferson had some ideas about the words to be contained in such a Declaration. Throughout the spring of 1776, John Adams was also thinking about independence. He began to grown increasingly impatient with the slow pace of declaring that independence. He kept busy at the Congress, helping to push through plans to support the colonial armed forces. Adams also drafted the preamble to the resolution of colleague Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, which called on the colonies to adopt new independent governments. On June 7, 1776 he seconded the resolution, which stated, "These colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states."
At the Congress, Jefferson and Adams became close friends. Adams supported Jefferson's appointment to the Committee of Five formed to draft a declaration of independence in furtherance of the Lee Resolution passed by the Congress, the document which declared the United Colonies independent. The committee initially thought that Adams should write the document, but Adams persuaded the committee to choose Jefferson. The other three members of the Committee of Five were Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston and Roger Sherman. Jefferson thought that Adams should write the document, but Adams persuaded the Committee to choose Jefferson. Adams recorded his exchange with Jefferson on the question in a letter to his wife Abigail. According to that account, the discussion was as follows: Jefferson asked, "Why will you not? You ought to do it." Adams responded, "I will not – reasons enough." Jefferson replied, "What can be your reasons?" Adams responded, "Reason first, you are a Virginian, and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second, I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular. You are very much otherwise. Reason third, you can write ten times better than I can." Jefferson replied, "Well, if you are decided, I will do as well as I can." Adams concluded, "Very well. When you have drawn it up, we will have a meeting."
Many years later Jefferson called Adams "the pillar of [the Declaration's] support on the floor of Congress, its ablest advocate and defender against the multifarious assaults it encountered." After editing the document further, Congress approved it on July 2. Twelve colonies voted in the affirmative, while New York abstained.
Following the war, the two men would play a role in the first government of the United States. Adams first saw the new United States Constitution in the fall of 1787 and he wrote to Jefferson that he read it "with great satisfaction." Adams did however express regret that the president would be unable to make appointments without Senate approval and over the absence of a Bill of Rights.
Adams was elected as the first Vice-President of the United States and Jefferson became the first Secretary of State. It was during this time that the friendship between the two men began to unravel. Much to the regret of President George Washington, factions soon developed within his cabinet and within government. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton let the Federalists, a group which supported a strong central government, which preferred neutrality in the war between England and France, and which opposed popular selection of elected leaders. Jefferson led the Republicans, which called for stronger states' rights, support for France, and a greater voice for the common man. As vice president, Adams sided with the Federalist Party. He supported Washington's policies and cast 31 tie-breaking votes, all in support of the administration, and more than any other vice president. In the summer of 1790, Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton struck a bargain. Jefferson pledged support for Hamilton's plan for the government to assume states' debts, while Madison, as a member of the House, promised to vote against it but not be "strenuous" in opposition. In exchange, the capital was temporarily moved from New York to Philadelphia, while a permanent site would be chosen on the Potomac River in order to placate Southerners. Adams cast a tie-braking nay vote against a last-minute motion to keep the capital in New York.
In 1796 the two men faced off in the race for President. Adams won the electoral college vote by a narrow margin of 71–68. Jefferson was elected vice president because of a mistake in voting for Adams's running mate. Jefferson held four confidential talks with French consul Joseph Létombe in the spring of 1797 where he attacked Adams, predicting that his rival would serve only one term. He also encouraged France to invade England, and advised Létombe to stall any American envoys sent to Paris. This toughened the tone that the French government adopted toward the Adams administration. After Adams's initial peace envoys were rebuffed, Jefferson and his supporters lobbied for the release of papers related to the incident, called the XYZ Affair. The tactic backfired when it was revealed that French officials had demanded bribes, rallying public support against France. The U.S. began an undeclared naval war with France known as the Quasi-War.
Federalists rebuilt the military, levied new taxes, and enacted the Alien and Sedition Acts. Jefferson believed that these laws were intended to suppress Democratic-Republicans, rather than prosecute enemy aliens, and considered them unconstitutional. He and James Madison anonymously wrote the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, declaring that the federal government had no right to exercise powers not specifically delegated to it by the states. Jefferson advocated nullification, allowing states to invalidate federal laws altogether.
The 1800 presidential election once again pitted Jefferson against Adams. Adams’s campaign was weakened by unpopular taxes and vicious Federalist infighting. Republicans pointed to the Alien and Sedition Acts and accused the Federalists of being secret monarchists, while Federalists called Jefferson a "godless libertine in thrall to the French". The election was "one of the most acrimonious in American history. Republicans ultimately won more electoral college votes, but Jefferson and his vice presidential candidate Aaron Burr unexpectedly received an equal total. Due to the tie, the election was decided by the Federalist-dominated House of Representatives. Federalists considered Jefferson to be a lesser political evil than Burr. On February 17, 1801, after thirty-six ballots, the House elected Jefferson president and Burr vice president.
Adams did not remain to see his opponent sworn in as president. However in early 1801, Adams sent Thomas Jefferson a brief note after returning to Quincy wishing him a happy and prosperous presidency. Jefferson failed to respond, and the two men did not speak again for nearly 12 years.
Three years later, in 1804, Abigail Adams wrote to Jefferson to express her condolences upon the death of his daughter Polly, who had stayed with the Adamses in London in 1787. This was followed by a brief correspondence between Jefferson and Mrs. Adams, but that did not go well. Abigal soon expressed criticisms of Jefferson's policies and he ended the exchange by it by not replying to Abigail's fourth letter.
Jefferson left office in March of 1809. Three years later, in early 1812, the two men resumed their relationship. During the previous year of 1811, Adams suffered a series of personal tragedies. His brother-in-law and friend Richard Cranch had died. Later that year, Cranch's widow Mary also died. Adams' daughter Nabby was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Dr. Benjamin Rush was a mutual friend of Adams and Jefferson and a fellow signer of the Declaration of Independence. He had been corresponding with both men and encouraged them to reach out to each other. On New Year's Day, Adams sent a brief, friendly note to Jefferson to accompany the delivery of "two pieces of homespun" (a two-volume collection of lectures on rhetoric by John Quincy Adams). Jefferson replied immediately with a friendly letter. This proved to be the ice-breaker and the two men revived their friendship, which they sustained through correspondence that lasted for the rest of their lives. These letters were preserved and ae considered by many to be an American literary treasure. Their letters represent an insight into both the period and the minds of the two revolutionary leaders and presidents. The exchange of letters lasted fourteen years, and consisted of 158 letters – 109 from Adams and 49 from Jefferson.
At first, Adams repeatedly tried to turn the correspondence to a discussion of their actions in the political arena. Jefferson refused to respond in kind. He told Adams, "nothing new can be added by you or me to what has been said by others and will be said in every age." Adams made one more attempt, writing "You and I ought not to die before we have explained ourselves to each other." But it was to no avail, as Jefferson declined to engage in this area of discussion. Adams accepted this, and their correspondence turned to other matters.
One of the subjects that they discussed was what Jefferson termed as "natural aristocracy." Jefferson wrote:
"The natural aristocracy I consider as the most precious gift of nature for the instruction, the trusts, and government of society. And indeed it would have been inconsistent in creation to have formed man for the social state, and not to have provided virtue and wisdom enough to manage the concerns of society. May we not even say that the form of government is best which provides most effectually for a pure selection of these natural [aristocrats] into the offices of government?"
In response, Adams wrote:
"Your distinction between natural and artificial aristocracy does not appear to me well founded. Birth and wealth are conferred on some men as imperiously by nature, as genius, strength, or beauty. When aristocracies are established by human laws and honor, wealth, and power are made hereditary by municipal laws and political institutions, then I acknowledge artificial aristocracy to commence."
As the two grew older, the letters became fewer and farther between. There were some subjects not discussed. Jefferson chose not to write about his construction of a new house, domestic turmoil, slave ownership, or his poor financial situation. Adams never mentioned the troublesome behavior of his son Thomas, who had failed as a lawyer and had become an alcoholic.
The two men died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the date both men claimed to be the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed. When Adams died, his last words were said to be "Thomas Jefferson survives." Adams was unaware that Jefferson had died several hours before.