John Adams Essays -- essays research papers

John Adams, who became the endorsement president of theUnited States, has been criminate by some historians of beingthe closest thing America perpetually had to a dictator or monarch(Onuf, 1993). Such strong accusations should be examinedin the context of the era in which Mr. Adams lived andserved. A closer psychometric test of the historical eventsoccurring during his vice presidency and his term aspresident, strongly suggests that Adams was not, in fact, adictator. Indeed, except for his lack of charisma and politicalcharm, Adams had a actually successful political career beforejoining the new-fashioned subject area government. He was, moreover,highly sought after as a open servant during the earlyformation of the new federal power (Ferling, 1992). Adamswas a well educated, sea word of honored patriot, and experienceddiplomat. He was the runner-up in the preference in whichGeorge chapiter was selected the first United StatesPresident. According to the electoral-college sy stem of thattime, the second candidate with the most electoral votesbecame the Vice President (Smelser & Gundersen, 1975).As president, Washington appointed, among others, twoinfluential political leaders to his original cabinet doubting ThomasJefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Jefferson, a veteranpolitician became the Secretary of State and Hamiliton, ayoung, outspoken New Yorker lawyer, became theSecretary of the Treasury (Ferling, 1992). Jefferson, likeAdams, had in addition sign-language(a) the Declaration of Independence.Hamilton, however, was the only cabinet member relativelyunknown to Adams (Ferling, 1992). It was Hamilton,nonetheless, who excelled during this new administration byinitiating numerous, innovative, and often controversialprograms, many of which were quite successful. Adams andHamilton were twain Federalists. Unlike Hamiliton, Adamswas more moderate (Smelser & Gundersen, 1975). Duringthis first administration, Adams and Hamilton quarreled(Washington Retires, 1995), and Adams contemptuouslybegan referring to Hamilton as his puppyhood (DeCarolis,1995). This created a rift in the administration, forWashington generally favored Hamiliton (Smelser &Gundersen, 1975), and disregarded Adams (Ferling, 1992).Hamilton also went to great lengths to drive Jefferson out ofthe cabinet (Allison, 1966). Jefferson did finally, indeed,resign from the cabinet. The Federalists party, of whichHamiliton w... ...larity in the last mentioned part of his term. It should also be pointed out thatthough the Sedition good turn was anti- pop in practice,Thomas Jefferson, who defeated Adams, intentd it against theFederalists in 1803 (People v. Croswell) and indicted a publishing house (DeCarolis, 1995). Jefferson was not accused ofbeing a dictator for such non-democratic actions. Adamswas uncomplete dictatorial in his conduct, or imperial in hispolicies. He appeared to endure had the interest of thecommon people at heart. The conflict with France, the hightaxes essential to keep the army and navy operating, and thepoor legislative faux pas intercourse made during period time,all cast a negative reflection on President Adams. Thisprovided his opponents, like Hamilton, Burr, and evenJefferson, with political leverage to use against him, just aspoliticians and political parties do in our own modern era. IfAdams were a dictator, then one must ask would the citizenselect his son to be the future president, twenty-four yearslater? Or, how his grandson, Charles Francis Adams,became Americas minister to London. Apparently thecitizenry remembered President Adams in a positive,democratic way, and not as a dictator.