A.P. Summer Reading:John Adams By David Mucculough Summary/Response Essay

John Adams by David McCullough, is a captivating story of love, struggle, prosperity, and in all independence. Mucculough tells the story of John Adams as all history should be told. Mucculough writes for John Adams to be to seen as a Yankee patriot, lawyer, husband, father, one of the most important roles of the American Revolution, and second president of the United States of America. John Adams not only shows John Adam's love for his wife and family, but also for the country. John Adams is by far the best biography Iv'e ever read.
John Adams was born October 19, 1735 in Braintree, Massachusetts. By the Old Style calendar this was his birth date, which was to be changed to October 30th once England adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752. He was given his father’s name (Deacon, John Adams).Writing was a hobby that carried throughout his life and as a young boy he wrote, “of making and sailing boats…swimming, skating, flying kites, and shooting marbles, bat and ball, football…wrestling and sometimes boxing”.He did not have much to say of his mother Susanna Boylston other than that he loved her and she was his “honored and beloved mother”. At the age of 15 he would pronounce himself “fitted for college”, and began attending Harvard College.
He was attracted particularly to mathematics and science, taught by his favorite professor John Winthrop. He worked hard and did well at Harvard. He got close to becoming a minister yet his mother found him unsuited for the life though Deacon John wished it for him. Adams would remember that when he joined the discussion club he had “some faculty” for public speaking and would make a better lawyer than preacher.
Taking becoming a lawyer into strong consideration ,and with his Harvard years ended, he traveled 60miles from Braintree to Worcester to be taken into office of a practicing attorney who would charge a fee. Adams worked at a Worcester schoolhouse while debating on what he wanted to make of his life while enjoying the personalities of the young children.
By late summer of 1756 Adams had made up his mind about his future. On August 21, he signed a contract with a young Worcester attorney, James Putnam, to study “under his inspection” for two years.
In the fall of 1758, his studies with Putnam completed, Adams returned to Braintree to move in with his mother and father. Adams was admitted to the bar in a ceremony before the Superior court at Boston on November 6, 1759 and in a matter of weeks, at age twenty-four, he had taken his first case, which he lost.On May 25, 1761, John Adams had to deal with a hardship of major importance when at age 70, his father Deacon John Adams, died. He was the victim of epidemic influenza that took a heavy toll in eastern Massachusetts and especially on elderly people.With his father gone he said to have experienced “want of strength and courage”.
On October 25, 1764 Abigail Smith and John Adams became husband and wife. Adams was elected a delegate of Continental Congress in Philadelphia and on January 24, 1776 he left Braintree accompanied by Joseph Bass leaving Abigail to care for their five children Abigail Adams, John Quincy Adams,Susanna Adams, Charles Adams, and Thomas Boylston Adams. In 1774 Massachusetts elected Adams to the Continental Congress . On June 17, 1775 war broke out with the Battle of Bunker Hill which was the start of a long battle between the 13 colonies and Great Britain. John Adams was part of the Committee of Five alongside Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston whom wrote and revised a Decleration on Independence.On June 23 a conference of committees from every county in Pennsylvania declared that the delegates of Pennsylvania in Congress should vote for independence.
July 2nd, 1776. in Philadelphia, the American colonies declared independence. Adams wrote to Abigail: “It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward”. In old age, Adams and Jefferson would try to recall the signing of the Declaration of Independence, yet with that summer being so crowded, they would incorrectly insist that the signing took place July 4th. Abigail would write to John and tell him the she and the children were going to be inoculated for the smallpox disease and he would respond as if confused on whether he should stay or come back home eventually choosing to stay home saying that if he were to leave now he would have no clue on what could possibly happen. He would wish his family the best and not return home.
On November 27, Congress named Adams a commissioner to work with Franklin and Arthur Lee in negotiating a French alliance. Because the allliance with the French was not sucessful, Adams was sent back home where on October 30th 1779 Adams was elected to write a Constitution or Form of Government for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This was his 44th birthday. The Constituition of Commonwealth of Massachsetts is the oldest functioning constitution in the world.
On Friday, October 19, at Yorktown, Virginia, by Chesapeake bay, the British General Cornwallis had surrenderd his army to a combined American and French under Washington and Rochambeau meaning that America had won the phyisical part of the American revolution. The British and Americans negotiated a deal on the new land and relieved control over America officially making it independent. The American Revolution was successful. Also with America in favor, Adams was able to negotiate a loan of 5 million guilder. Still not the 10 million that Congress wanted but it was a start.
Washington was chosen president, Adams came in second in the Electoral College and became Vice President election of 1789. He was reelected in 1792. Adams once said of the Vice Presidency "This is the most unimportant position human ever made". In the first year of Washington's administration, Adams became deeply involved in a month-long Senate controversy over what the official title of the President would be, favoring such lavish titles such as "His Majesty the President" or "His High Mightiness" over the blunt "President of the United States" which won of all. Adams won the election of 71 electoral votes to Jefferson's 68, whom became Vice President. There were battles within his own Federalist part which was led by Alexander Hamilton. He became the founder of an important family of politicians, diplomats and historians.
John Adams was not reelected in 1800 and with this he went back home. He enjoyed time with his family and friends as the time went along. Soon, his freinds and family began to wither away as Nabby got cancer and Abigial slowly yet surley died. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day as each other and the same day that they insisted Independence was declared.