To compare and to contrast two former United States Presidents, they were more alike, yet they were more different. The forthcoming July 4th, Independence Day, celebration holds several documented events in United States history and in the extraordinary lives of these aging statesmen.
Friends and former adversaries Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were two of the nation’s most influential Founding Fathers, who played pivotal roles in shaping the early United States. Despite their shared dedication to the nation’s independence and early development, they had significantly different political policies and visions for the country.
Initially, they were close friends and collaborators, sharing a love of books, the law, and intellectual pursuits. Yet, both men were deeply committed to the ideals of a republican form of government and the principals of liberty and democracy.
Known for their later political disagreements, Adams and Jefferson shared significant similarities. Both statesmen were deeply involved in the American Revolution and in the early formation of the United States. Of utmost importance, they both served on the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence, held diplomatic posts, and eventually became Presidents. Furthermore, they both died on July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the foundational document of which they were instrumental in developing and formatting.
Each man was instrumental in the ideological founding of the Declaration of Independence, which was authored by Jefferson. Ironically, the two friends died within five hours of each other on the same day and year - July 4, 1826 on the 50th anniversary of their document. Adams died of natural causes (old age) in Quincy, Massachusetts at age 90, while Jefferson died from congestive heart failure at age 83 at his Monticello plantation in Charleston, Virginia. Neither gentleman knew of the other's demise. Adams' last words were “Jefferson survives,” although Adams predeceased Jefferson. Ironically, Jefferson’s wife, Martha, died prematurely and following her death, Jefferson met Sally Hemings, his slave. Jefferson never remarried. Abigail Adams died of Typhoid Fever several years before her husband. Regardless, they were separated by hundreds of miles and by many days of overland travel time. The majority of their news was through frequently-written correspondence (letters).
While both Jefferson and Adams were dedicated to the success of the United States, their differing political ideologies and visions for the country’s developments created a deep rivalry, particularly during the election of 1800 when Adams won the presidential contest against Jefferson. Their differences reflected the core debates of the early republic, particularly the balance between federal and state power and the preferred economic direction for the new nation.
The following is derived from www.wikipedia.com and Al Overview, and is the breakdown of the similarities and differences between the two statesmen:
Adams was a prominent member of the Federalist party, who believed in a strong, centralized federal government and a weaker state government. Too, he believed in implied powers of the federal government, such as establishing a national bank and merchandise manufacturing. Additionally, Adams favored a more structured society.
Jefferson was a leader in the Democrat-Republican Party and advocated for a limited federal government. Also, he believed in the strict interpretation of the Constitution. Owner of Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia, he advocated an agricultural-focused economy – rooted in farming and in independent small farmers. It was here that Jefferson grew his varied foodstuffs.
The differences in their economic policies during this time were that Adams supported the above-mentioned financial plan, whereas Jefferson sought to end the national debt, cut federal spending, and lower taxes, believing that agriculture and land ownership were the basis of a Republican government.
Adams personality and style hinged on being outspoken, being brash, and sometimes lacking in social graces. Jefferson was considered more reserved, diplomatic, and articulate (to express oneself clearly and effectively through speech and writing).
Both men served as foreign diplomats, representing the young nation on the international stage. Adams was elected the second United States president, while Jefferson was the third. Ironically, Jefferson served as Adams vice-president. Both men were preceded by George Washington.
Jefferson also served as the second governor of Virginia, where his architectural skills implemented his personal design of Monticello and the University of Virginia. He was graduated from the William and Mary College in Virginia. Adams originated from Braintree (Quincy), Massachusetts and was graduated from Harvard University. Married to my heroine, Abigail Adams, they were the parents of the sixth president of the United States, John Quincy Adams (1767-1848).
In conclusion and in summation, the two Founding Fathers shared a special place in American history. They had a long and complicated relationship over the course of their lives. They always will be linked. On diplomatic missions to Europe, they became close friends. Later, their friendship would sour and they turned into political enemies, before making amends later in life. Their written correspondence from 1812 – 1826 has been described as “the best documents ever written.”
‘’I think the highpoint of their relationship,” wrote historian Douglas Ambrose, “is Jefferson’s letter to Adams on the death of Abigail Adams. Nothing Jefferson ever wrote is as moving as these heartfelt words to his old suffering friend.
“Tried myself, in the school of affliction, by the loss of every form of connection which can rive the human heart, I know well, and feel what you have lost, what you have suffered, are suffering, and have yet to endure. The same trials have taught me that, for ills so immeasurable, time and silence are the only medicines. I will not, therefore, by useless condolences, open afresh the sluices of your grief, nor altho’ mingling sincerely my tears with yours, will I say a word more, where words are vain, but that it is of some comfort to use both that the term is not very distant at which we are to deposit, in the same cement, our sorrows and suffering bodies, and to ascend, in essence, to an ecstatic meeting with the friends we have loved and lost, and whom we shall still love and never lose again. God bless you and support you under your heavy affliction.”
