John Adams

by David McCullough

Adams learned for the first time that Charles, who had disappeared, was bankrupt, faithless, and an alcoholic.

Adams’s outbursts of temper could be explosive, they never happened in public, always in private confrontations.

Jefferson in his four years as Vice President had so effectively separated himself from Adams and the administration that he could be held accountable for nothing that had disappointed, displeased, or infuriated anyone, whereas Adams was held forever accountable for the new taxes, the Alien and Sedition Acts, the standing army, and a host of other “menaces,” as said Philadelphia’s Aurora.

treaty with France, the Convention of Mortefontaine, had been signed on October 3, 1800, at a château north of Paris. At a grand fete celebrating the event, Bonaparte declared that the differences between France and the United States had been no more than a family quarrel.

The news had come too late to affect the election,

ever a system was proven to work under extremely adverse circumstances, it was at this inauguration of 1801, and it is regrettable that Adams was not present.

there was no tradition of a defeated president appearing at the installation of the winner.

true, this made her the half-sister of Jefferson’s wife Martha, and it was said that she resembled Martha Jefferson and was fair-skinned and “decidedly good looking.”

Sally

British impressment of American seamen was the principal issue—“injuries

War of 1812

standard American guide for mental illnesses, and in later years Rush would become known as the father of American psychiatry.

As he believed that all were equal before God, so he believed that all should be free to worship God as they pleased. In particular, he wanted religious freedom for Jews,

His last endeavor revising Massachusetts constitution

his amendment failed to pass.

while he did not know what the solution to the presence of slavery should be, he was certain it should not be allowed to expand.