John Q. Adams, like Jefferson and the presidents before him could see that the country was becoming ever more divided.
I've written before that the issue of foreign sanctions on imported goods almost made the Northeast and his home state of Massachusetts secede early in the history of the country, long before slavery became the most divisive issue of the day.
As abolitionists in the North grew more determined and pro slavery elements in the South grew more divisive, he could see that there was a rift taking place between regional factions and interests that would tear the country apart.
If he had continued Jefferson and Madison's policies on relying heavily on state funded and run militias, it would have only accelerated the rift. Most of Q. Adams policies during his presidency sought to increase the power of the federal government and thus strengthen the national identity of Americans.
After his presidency, he became ever more anti slavery and in the last years of his life, he influenced Abe Lincoln who would later be president to use War Powers to eliminate slavery in the South when Civil War broke out.
"The preservation of the Union is to me what the destruction of Carthage was to Cato, the conclusion of every discourse."
Showing posts with label John Quincy Adams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Quincy Adams. Show all posts
8/7/09
John Quincy Adams: Life Experiance
John Q. Adams lived an amazing life. At a time where most American citizens never made it out of their own county, much less state, Q. Adams traveled the world.
He had diplomatic posts in France, Britain, Russia, Germany and The Netherlands. That would be an amazing career even today in the era of jet travel! At the time, intercontinental travel by sea took months and was dangerous even on ship worthy vessels.
When most Americans were illiterate, he spoke fluent or nearly fluent French, German, Russian, Dutch as well as Greek and Latin.
He chaired the first Smithsonian committee and made great scientific advances in weights and measures as well as planting the seeds for the first Astronomical observatory.
He was one of the first Americans to have his image recorded by Daguerreotype (a precursor to the photograph).
He was born in the Revolutionary period, came of age right after America won its independence and died right before the Civil War.
He is believed to be the only American to have known all the Founding Fathers personally and also have known Abe Lincoln. Lincoln became an Illinois congressman shortly before Q. Adams died and was influenced by Q. Adams in eliminating slavery during the Civil War.
Wherever people want to rank Q. Adams' presidency, I think you'd almost certainly have to rank him first in living an interesting life.
He had diplomatic posts in France, Britain, Russia, Germany and The Netherlands. That would be an amazing career even today in the era of jet travel! At the time, intercontinental travel by sea took months and was dangerous even on ship worthy vessels.
When most Americans were illiterate, he spoke fluent or nearly fluent French, German, Russian, Dutch as well as Greek and Latin.
He chaired the first Smithsonian committee and made great scientific advances in weights and measures as well as planting the seeds for the first Astronomical observatory.
He was one of the first Americans to have his image recorded by Daguerreotype (a precursor to the photograph).
He was born in the Revolutionary period, came of age right after America won its independence and died right before the Civil War.
He is believed to be the only American to have known all the Founding Fathers personally and also have known Abe Lincoln. Lincoln became an Illinois congressman shortly before Q. Adams died and was influenced by Q. Adams in eliminating slavery during the Civil War.
Wherever people want to rank Q. Adams' presidency, I think you'd almost certainly have to rank him first in living an interesting life.
7/26/09
John Quincy Adams: Liberal or Conservative?
It's interesting to go back and find the 'conservative' and 'liberal' causes of early American history because we would hardly recognize them as fitting in the modern era.
John Q. Adams was pro national bank, pro tariff, pro internal improvements (think national works projects for infrastructure), anti Indian removal and late in his career as a congressman Anti Slavery.
Tariffs of course helped the domestic manufacturers, internal improvements helped the country in a general sense, the idea of being against the forced removal of 'civilized' Indians who had abandoned their nomadic ways and had taken up agriculture and railing against slavery would all seem in the modern era to be liberal ideologies, not conservative. However, Q. Adams was derided by the southern Jeffersonians as anti Democratic and monarchical for these beliefs.
In those days, the 'populist progressive' would be someone that was for a small federal government, state militias instead of standing armies and who was willing to clear away the settled Shawnee, Creek, Seminal and Iroquois Indians to make room for the poor white man.
When you look at the important policy makers of early American history, the idea of Liberal vs. Conservative rings hollow and you're forced instead to look at their specific beliefs on specific issues to really understand them.
John Q. Adams was pro national bank, pro tariff, pro internal improvements (think national works projects for infrastructure), anti Indian removal and late in his career as a congressman Anti Slavery.
Tariffs of course helped the domestic manufacturers, internal improvements helped the country in a general sense, the idea of being against the forced removal of 'civilized' Indians who had abandoned their nomadic ways and had taken up agriculture and railing against slavery would all seem in the modern era to be liberal ideologies, not conservative. However, Q. Adams was derided by the southern Jeffersonians as anti Democratic and monarchical for these beliefs.
In those days, the 'populist progressive' would be someone that was for a small federal government, state militias instead of standing armies and who was willing to clear away the settled Shawnee, Creek, Seminal and Iroquois Indians to make room for the poor white man.
When you look at the important policy makers of early American history, the idea of Liberal vs. Conservative rings hollow and you're forced instead to look at their specific beliefs on specific issues to really understand them.
7/19/09
John Quincy Adams: Not a politician
Q. Adams viewed public service as an obligation, not something to 'electioneer' for.
He was apart from his family for years when he was called to service as a foreign diplomat in London, France, Germany and Russia and expressed much regret in letters home.
He'd constantly talk of retiring to pursue intellectual pursuits, only to be named the Secretary of State and then President.
He finally looked forward to an enjoyable retirement as a relatively old man for the times after one term of the Presidency when he lost to Jackson but was compelled by his fellow citizens a short time later to serve out the remaining years of his life as a congressman where he literally died at his desk.
He hated populism and referred to political rallies as 'mobs'. In a letter home to his wife, he remarked how pleased he was that an actually impromptu celebration for him in Massachusetts after his one term in the presidency resulted in "no violence".
He did so little to help his political situation, that friend and rivals actually referred to him as Macbeth.
He was apart from his family for years when he was called to service as a foreign diplomat in London, France, Germany and Russia and expressed much regret in letters home.
He'd constantly talk of retiring to pursue intellectual pursuits, only to be named the Secretary of State and then President.
He finally looked forward to an enjoyable retirement as a relatively old man for the times after one term of the Presidency when he lost to Jackson but was compelled by his fellow citizens a short time later to serve out the remaining years of his life as a congressman where he literally died at his desk.
He hated populism and referred to political rallies as 'mobs'. In a letter home to his wife, he remarked how pleased he was that an actually impromptu celebration for him in Massachusetts after his one term in the presidency resulted in "no violence".
He did so little to help his political situation, that friend and rivals actually referred to him as Macbeth.
7/16/09
John Quincy Adams: Scholarly Man
John Quincy Adams in my opinion is the last of the deferential society, thinking man presidents for a long time. The next presidents really played up their appeal to the common man- Jackson's nickname was 'Old Hickory' or 'The Hero', Van Buren was 'Old Kinderhook' (created the saying O.K.), Harrison was 'Old Tippecanoe'.
John Quincy Adams could not have been more different than the populist presidents that followed. He was steeped in the Roman and Greek classics, like his father John Adams. He also spoke fluent French, German, Russian and even some Dutch as well as complete fluency in Greek and Latin.
He read so much that he actually was nearly blind in his old age. He was a Renaissance man that wrote scholarly works on Astronomy and had a huge part in ushering in an era a standardized weights and measures through his own research and read the great works of Philosophy by night.
Barack Obama may have been the president of the Harvard Law Review, but he has a long way to go before he's as much of an intellectual as Quincy Adams.
John Quincy Adams could not have been more different than the populist presidents that followed. He was steeped in the Roman and Greek classics, like his father John Adams. He also spoke fluent French, German, Russian and even some Dutch as well as complete fluency in Greek and Latin.
He read so much that he actually was nearly blind in his old age. He was a Renaissance man that wrote scholarly works on Astronomy and had a huge part in ushering in an era a standardized weights and measures through his own research and read the great works of Philosophy by night.
Barack Obama may have been the president of the Harvard Law Review, but he has a long way to go before he's as much of an intellectual as Quincy Adams.
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