Posted by elektratig [ 69.68.163.232 ] on January 29, 2006 at 05:58:26:
In Reply to: Refreshing posted by Leland Crooks on January 28, 2006 at 18:43:24:
I've been meaning to read David McCullough's biography of Adams. Adams was truly a giant. The one significant mark against him is the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, which were plainly unconstitutional and used by the Federalists to suppress free speech of the emerging Jeffersonian Republicans. Luckily, it didn't work, as Jefferson was elected anyway in 1800, making Adams a one-term president.
All of which makes the later reconciliation between Adams and Jefferson all the more remarkable and significant. As you no doubt know, the two men wound up dying on the same day -- July 4, 1826, fifty years to the day after July 4, 1776. Adams's last words were supposedly, "Thomas Jefferson survives." He was wrong. Jefferson had died a few hours earlier.
[ Tower Forum ] [ Help ]