John Adams: American Founder and Second President
“The man to whom the country is most indebted for the great measure of independence is Mr. John Adams.” That was from a delegate to the Continental Congress. But how much do you know about this influential thinker and second president of the United States? Brad Thompson, Professor of Political Science at Clemson University, tells Adams’ remarkable story.
#johnadams #ushistory #history #foundingfathers
SUBSCRIBE 👉 https://www.prageru.com/join
Script:
Everybody knows what happened on July 4th, 1776: America was born. But three days earlier, on July 1st, independence hung in the balance.
There was a great case to be made not to secede from Great Britain. The colonists had no army, no navy, and almost no money. England had a lot of all three. It would have made perfect sense to bend to the will of the Crown, pay some extra taxes, and call it a day. There were plenty of people in Philadelphia prepared to make that case. They could have easily prevailed. Yet, they didn’t. They didn’t because of the words of one man: John Adams.
At a key moment in the congressional debate, when the forces against independence appeared to have the upper hand, Adams rose to his feet. Without notes and without any preparation, he made the case for independence. By the time he sat down, the case had been won. We don’t have a transcript of what he said. If we did, Adams might rank even higher than he does now among the Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson said years later that the speech was so powerful in “thought and expression” that it “moved us from our seats.” Adams was, Jefferson said, “our Colossus on the floor.”
If Washington was the sword of the American Revolution, and Jefferson the pen, then Adams was its engine. Brilliant, demanding, meticulous, but often irascible, he was not an easy man to love. At some point in his life, he irritated, if not alienated, everyone with whom he worked. Yet these same people would invariably come to appreciate him. That included Washington and especially Jefferson, with whom he sometimes fought bitterly.
Ironically, for all his cantankerousness, his marriage to Abigail Adams stands as one of the great love stories of American history. Their correspondence, spanning five decades, is a vibrant, living history of the nation’s early years. Abigail frankly described her husband as “short, thick, and fat.” But what he lacked in good looks and physical stature, he made up in intellect, personal integrity, and clarity of thought.
Born in 1735 near Boston, Adams relentlessly pushed himself to rise early, work hard, and live a moral life. He strove—in the language of the day—for a life of virtue over vice. He first came to public attention in 1765, when he issued a stirring rebuke of the much-hated Stamp Act. For the next 18 years, he fought unceasingly against British tyranny and for American liberty, dedicating his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor to the struggle.
These were not idle words. In his forties by the time of the Revolution, he didn’t fight in the war; instead, he crossed the Atlantic four times on diplomatic missions, braving winter storms, diseases such as pneumonia and dysentery, and British war ships. Capture would have meant summary execution.
In Europe, as befit his character, he was all business. He helped Benjamin Franklin bring the French into the war on the American side, and he arranged critical loans from Dutch banks. When the war ended, it was Adams, along with Franklin and John Jay, who negotiated the treaty in which England officially recognized the new United States.
For all these efforts, Adams was paid virtually nothing. But fortune was never his aim. Creating a new, better, freer country than the world had ever known was all that he cared about. As one delegate to the Continental Congress said, “The man to whom the country is most indebted for the great measure of independence is Mr. John Adams.”
Following the war, Adams served two terms as vice president under George Washington and then one term as the second President of the United States. Taking over for Washington was a thankless task. Everyone deferred to the great general. To put it mildly, Adams was not granted the same courtesy. Still, the new president was able to distinguish his time in high office with two significant achievements: one marked by something he did do; the other, by something he did not do.
For the full script, visit: https://www.prageru.com/video/john-adams-american-founder-and-second-president
source
PragerU's 5 minute videos always reach millions of views. Why this one has less than 20k?? YouTube shadowban strikes again.
The HBO series about Adams was one of the few things they did well. A shame they didn't include his argument for independence.
George Washington was NOT the first President of the U.S.
A “short, thick and fat” president? Jerry Nadler for President! 😂
One big thing he was the only one of the founders never to own not one slave. Not one and he wrote the constitution of Massacgusetts.
Adams was a great man and great statesman. He kept us out of war and built a navy and having the navy actually kept us from a full fledge war. He was great at HR too he nominated Washington to be commander of the army, had Jefferson to write the declaration of independence along with himself, Franklin, and Robert Livingston. He put our greatest chief justice John Marshall on the supreme court. As stated before he closed the peace deal after the war and got the US bunches of money from the Dutch. At times he didn't get along with the French. But no one is perfect and Adams was damn close.
I appreciate the dedication PragerU. Thank you for all the clips and free information right down to yalls free constitution 101 and up. Patriotism at its finest!
Yes they did lol Jefferson is my absolute favorite presidents! Lmao both men stubborn as hell.
Magnificent…
We wouldn't have won our independence without France so not helping them after they helped us was messed up.
If you read Abigail’s letters you will understand that she was very intelligent as of course was John Adams himself.
I’ve studied John Adams and he was a brilliant man that gave everything for independence. His books are very interesting
United States of America! Was born . America is the Continent.
https://youtu.be/_7VUqJF3Vi4
At least Adams had the courage and decency to admit defeat, unlike Trump.
Its staggering how far the quality of our elected representatives has declined. :/
These videos are being overtly suppressed, didn't even show in my notifications.
It’s sad that our Great America doesn’t have any leader’s like John Adams
The US more than paid France back for their help – they just had to wait another hundred years to get it.
Seen enough street interviews to know that not everyone knows what happened in 1776 😉
Debate Sam Seder.
You are a coward.
I highly recommend the Mini series John Adams. Brilliant dialogue, casting and acting. It's like like going back in time.
Traveling by ship at that time was nothing to sneeze at.
Yea, but all these founding fathers didn't want to pay taxes to or give power to England. They WANTED the power and taxes.
John Adams is my favorite Founding Father. Yes he had flaws, yes, he made mistakes. But he wanted to do what was right for his country.
Fan fact: 2nd John Adams, and his son 6th John Quincy Adams, are the first father and son to be elected to the office of the president. Second was 41st George Herbert Walker Bush, and 43rd George Walker bush.
So glad I go to a school with his name on it and his signature on the uniform.
So proud to be a direct descendant of this great man.
France : PLEASE HELP US AMERICA AGAINST THE ENEMY!
America : literally a infant in time of existence No fam, we ain't ready.
WW2
France : America please us-
America : busts in ready to kill some Nazis Sup nerd.
Love these historical shorts. So interesting and much needed today so our current youth (and others) can truly understand how America came to be. ❤️🇺🇸❤️
Thank you
Most of these founding fathers warned of the crap show we are living now. Told us not to do a lot of things and not to let things like giving up the printing of our own money to anyone else. Would be a very bad thing. They were right on all the warnings they gave.
Adams and Jefferson died on the same day. Brothers until the end.
I have such a complicated relationship with our Second President. Adams was, as described, a brave and dedicated Patriot to the American cause and was instrumental in our Independence. However he was a Federalist, a staunch advocate of the rigid political party system and signed the Alien & Sedition Act, one of the most Un-Constitutional over reach of government power in American history. I respect and revere the man but I am also highly critical of him.