Title

Passionate sage : the character and legacy of John Adams

Description

John Adams, one of the Founding Fathers of our nation and its second president, spent nearly the last third of his life in retirement grappling with contradictory views of his place in history and fearing his reputation would not fare well in the generations after his death.In an incomplete autobiography, and in numerous publications and voluminous correspondence with Thomas Jefferson and many others, John Adams argued and railed against those who disagreed with him or made little of his contribution to our country's political foundations. And indeed, future generations did slight him, elevating Jefferson and Madison to lofty heights with Washington while Adams remained way back in the second tier. Now, in a witty, clear, and thoughtful narrative of Adams's later life at his home in Quincy, Joseph Ellis explores the mind and personality of the man as well as the earlier events that shaped his thinking. Readers will discover Adams to be both contentious and lovable, generous and petty, and the most intellectually profound of the revolutionary generation, a man who may have contributed to the earlier underestimates of his role in history, and whose perspective on America's prospects has relevance for us today.

Identifier

446925

393034798

Creator

Ellis, Joseph J

Format

1st ed.

Source

Brian Lamb Booknotes Collection

Gift of Brian Lamb, 2011.

Catalog record

Language

eng

Date

1993

Program air date: September 5, 1993.

Publisher

Norton

George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections & Archives

Text

Transcription of Annotations
Notes on front endpapers: Benjamin Rush. Jefferson v. Adams. Toothless. Franklin [same bed]. Republican v. Demo. Hamilton. Heroes had to be dead. "Thomas Jefferson survives." John Marshall. French Revolution. Books, 3,000. Montezillo v. Monticello. Avoiding war with France. B. Oct 30, 1735, d. July 4, 1826. President March 4, 1797-March 4, 1801. The French. Great man. What's ahistorical? What now legendary lunches at Columbia. Midnight judges. No 2nd term. Hamilton diatribe against Hamilton. Egotism, temper. Vendetta political suicide for Hamilton. Adams's auto-biography. Big question? War with France. Avoiding war with France. Treaty with France. Seclusion in Quincy. 1770s 38 years old. War with England. Adams's clear vision--direction country needed to go. Fear of success. Premier political theorist of the American Revolution. Fall of 1755 had graduated from Harvard previous summer. Worcester schoolmaster. 1755 began diary. Summit of Grandeur. Christianity. Ministry? The Law. Manure. Toothless. 3 year series. Franklin/Adams same bed. George Washington. Republican--the word. War with France. Heroes must be dead. True history. Conventional wisdom seldom got close to the truth. Adams 3,000 volumes--best read of his generation. Social engineering. French Revolutions. Ultimate purpose of government to constrain/balance energies. Arguing with books in the night. Signing of the Declaration. Trumbull painting. New England v. Virginia; East v. South. James Otis v. Sam Adams. Americans not a special people. US advantage is geographical. Adams v. Jefferson letters. Sally Hemings. Rush edits Jefferson's letters. Liberal v. conservative. Banks. Jefferson--France; Adams-British. Slavery. French social policy. April 1814 letter to John Taylor. Adams wrote as he talked. Adams defended 2 house legislation. Senate. Aristocracy. Banks northern slavery. Davila--pauper and his dog. Secret of longevity. Mercy Otis Warren. Adams opposed to female suffrage. Ladies and terror. 4 children. Abigail died in 1818. Adams v. Jefferson. Washington. FDR. Jefferson Memorial. Adams opposed slavery. Croly and Adams. 20th century Conservative v. liberal. Liberal v. Adams. Since microfilm came out in 1950, praise for Adams's presidency. PBS. Sam Adams beer. Memorial to Adams will come when... Jefferson author of independence. American future. Pessimist. JQA defeated after one term. 12 year cycle. Cycle of history. Cycle of wealth/avarice. 200 million, climate, constitutional instruments. Gradual progress.

Subject

"Adams, John, 1735-1826."

Relation

Original Booknotes interview

Rights

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