Saturday, March 20, 2010
John and Abigail Adams
I am new to this and got some help from a daughter to use it successfully, I hope. I am intrigued and amazed at the kind of people John and Abigail Adams were. Further, it was such a singular thing that so many "great" men were alive, living in the colonies, and moving towards separation from England to form the new republic, as it is referred to as in McCullough's book. Adams was truly the man of the hour for his vision and staunch support of the liberty and freedom being fought for. If anything, I have "fallen in love" with the history described and the passion these people had to sacrifice so much to give us what we have today. It was no accident that these "patriots" were born at that time. Adams was such a thinker, and writer. He was very talented in being able to "see the bigger picture" and think beyond a war to what he thought the new government should look like, and then have the tenacity to fight for that vision and help others to see what he saw. I am thrilled by the book and information. I feel as if I am there myself watching as the beginnings of our great country transpire and unfold.
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I absolutely agree with all that you said. Along with that, I am so impressed with Abigail. As Adams put it, "I think you shine as a stateswoman." He fully considered her a choice blessing, and his choice of her for a wife was important. She was truly his equal and played a huge part with her steady influence.
ReplyDeleteI love that when he first meets Abigail the impression was low. So much for "love at first sight"?
ReplyDeleteI am sad that I don't live in a society that places importance on letter writing. My grandmother was a great letter writer. I am not. Most of what we know of these two comes from the letters. I was amazed that when he first goes to Philadelphia, he wrote up to 3 times a day. This was a true American love affair.
In his book, "A History of the American People", Paul Johnson mentions how stacked America was. He says that to have all of these great minds all at the same time was incredible. He says that even if we had two or three of these great minds, the Founding Fathers would have out thought and out witted the KING of England and the Prime Ministers of the day. But he says- In the American Colonies there were 20 or 30 of the greatest minds of ALL TIME. Pretty noble for a British Historian.
One of the things that really affected me about their relationship was how they dealt with being apart from each other due to John's war assignments. My husband was a member of the National Guard and spent 18 months in Iraq. Every time I read the letters from John to Abigail and vice versa, I reflect on my own experience of being the wife at home taking care of the children and keeping up the business of life, while my husband was out fighting in a war. I am sure it was incredibly difficult for Abigail to send him off each time, not knowing if she would ever see him again, knowing that he was committing an act of treason to the King of England and if caught he would be put to death. I know how hard it was for me to send my husband off and to endure long periods without any news, which by Abigail's standards was nothing. I think that my children will one day read the letters and emails that my husband shared during that time apart and what it will mean to them.
ReplyDeleteI love books like this where we can learn and experience the relationships of the people involved. History is not just events, but personal experiences.
I just finished John Adams yesterday! One of the things that I thought was very interesting was the contrast of Jefferson and Adams especially at the ends of their lives. The comparison of the two men reveals much about the way they chose to live. They were both great thinkers and writers, however it seemed to me that Adams did more to apply what he believed than Jefferson did, particularly in regard to slavery. For example, Jefferson said that all men were created equal, but could not put that into play by freeing his many slaves. They both made great contributions to the developing country and it is fascinating to get a glimpse into the personalities behind the events. (Ann Houmand)
ReplyDeleteI also was intrigued with Abigail Adams. As you read her letters you realize she was very active in her husband’s careers. She supported him in his endeavors while taking care of the children and the farm. It seems as though he was gone more than he was at home. As I read more about Abigail Adams I learned that John did not resent his wife's abilities to manage a farm and raise a family without him during his long absences on the nation's business. Rather, he took pride in her accomplishments. He told her she was so successful in budgeting, planting, managing staff, regulating live-stock, buying provisions, nursing and educating her children, that their neighbors would surely remark on how much better things seemed to go in his absence.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jan - what a fantastic relationship they had. They were truly partners in the best sense of the word - they built each other up and encouraged one another through the good times and the trying ones. You can hear John's frustration at not being there for her during the small pox innoculation and the longing both of them have for one another. Yet, John stays in Philadelphia and goes to Congress every day after heading the War Committee. His own concerns took a second to his duty to his country - I wonder how many men in our government today can say that this is true of them? Or any of us? Do we know what we believe in and are we willing to sacrifice our personal comforts and desires to fulfill our duty to this "higher cause"? It certainly gives me something to reflect upon. John and Abigail are true role models.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more, Marianne. It was truly singular that they lived and took life by the reins and were totally committed to each other, their values, their children, and their beliefs in the possibility of the new nation and then to stay with it during the "birthing" process on into the 19th century. Clearly, their example was magnificent and very remarkable in that I doubt very many of our lawmakers today even come close to the level of character and ability that existed in these two individuals alone. We may yet get to see some of our own "Tea Parties" and confrontations in order to bring back what they gave us. I bet they would be aghast and roll over in their graves were they to spend ten minutes in DC and the chambers of the lawmakers.
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