The Presidency of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson

John Adams is an important figure in the history of this country at the most important time in its history : the time of its birth . He is a towering figure in American History and his accomplishments speak to protecting the rights of his fellow men , even if those men were British soldiers accused of shooting Americans as was the case with the Boston Massacre of 1770 . John Adams served as minister to France in 1777 when at that time , the colonists badly needed French intervention if they ever hoped to win the American

Revolution . Adams also had a contributing role in America 's Declaration of Independence as he was a vocal member of the Continental Congress . Adams also wrote the Massachusetts State Constitution , including its Bill of Rights . All of the above mentioned speak to the love of freedom and the protection of these rights to which Adams spoke so dearly . So then why during the 20th century was Adams almost vilified compared to his friend and one time enemy Thomas Jefferson ? It is peculiar how History seems to take sides over one issue of vilifies or glorifies one person above his real role in life . Both Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln enjoyed such an honor during the latter half of the 19th century and into the 20th . Only recently , when it is almost certain , that Jefferson fathered children of a mixed breed , yet still owned 200 slaves at a time , when Adams spoke to the emancipation of slavery , does the playing field become more level This is especially true with David McCullough 's book John Adams , which actually sparked a Congressional insight into the importance of John Adams and a rethinking by the American public , spoke about the legacy of a man who was vital to the survival of this new experiment called the American Republic . Adams is vilified to a certain degree for two actions : forcing his bitterness over the loss of the 1800 election , not to greet the incoming President as is the custom now , and the dreaded Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 which horrified Thomas Jefferson and helped lead to the one time best friends , not to speak to speak to each other for another twelve years

Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson will be forever linked together in American history . The 2nd and 3rd presidents of The United States and one time best friends , who later became political rivals and has the distinction of dying on the same day the 50 anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence , were giants in the quest for American Independence . John Adams , twice , served as a diplomat to France both during the American Revolution as well as in the years immediately following the war . Both Jefferson and Adams were very important times since historians later hailed French involvement in the American Revolution as what helped turned the tide of the war in the favor of the colonists (McCullough , 2001

. 322 ) And as the war was...