From Mike’s forum on Discovery:
Q: As we celebrate our nation’s birthday ~ the 4th of July, have you ever considered which president you would have liked to have met? — Pen
John Adams
My reasons why are between the covers of McCullough’s biography on the man and his presidency, and too numerous to mention here. But for starters, he was a true patriot who almost single-handedly got the second Continental Congress to declare our independence. He wrote amazing love letters to his wife everyday. And he was the only founding father to never own a slave. In spite of his many accomplishments, he was unpopular, politically incorrect for his time, and considered by many to be trouble. He was – but not for the people he served.
If there were any justice, John Adams would be on the $50 bill, and not that drunk, US Grant.
Mike
Agreed!
I’m currently buried in the middle of McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize Winner and couldn’t agree more about Adams. Not an opinion I would have shared previously to reading this amazing book. McCullough writes as if he were Adam’s lifelong friend. He had to have been one of the hardest working “Founding Fathers” we had.
Looks like you and your buddy, Meyer, agree. His blog last year: http://www.mikeroweworks.com/2009/07/wisdom-from-the-founding-fathers/
And so do I. Let’s start a Replace Grant with Adams Facebook campaign!
One of my heroes.
When he was Vice President and not having a good time, he told his wife Abigail, “My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.”
Haha, still pretty much true today.
A fervent patriot and intellect. John Adams should grace our $50 bill ,your right. Mike I love your thinking!
Nat
It WAS a great book – John’s and Abigail’s writing styles were not only fascinating to read, but the devotion, commitment and honor they had for each other, their friends, and their country are pretty much awe-inspiring.
My fave founding father was never a president.
Ben Franklin was an AMAZING Man.
Ben was a Printer, Scientist, Experimenter, Inventor, Composer, Musician, Politician, Ambassador, Philanthropist, Architect, Author…. even with all this he still had time to chase skirts and he loved to imbibe a little from time to time.
I reckon todays politicians are lacking in either talent or intelligence. Not one on capital hill or Pennsylvania Ave can claim even half of Franklin’s resume’.
“Swim or sink, live or die, survive or perish with my country was my unalterable determination.”
– John Adams
Nice choice Mike
Diane
Mike, very nicely said. What a wonderful epitaph for a truly deserving man who was grossly ill treated in his time . I admire your choice. Michelle
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve always lamented how unsung John Adams is as one of our most important founding fathers. Thank you for recognizing Adams’s contribution and I would love to see him replace Grant on the 50.