John Adams

“The man to whom the country is most indebted for the great measure of independence is Mr. John Adams. … I call him the Atlas of American Independence.” This quote by Richard Stockton, a contemporary of John Adams, accurately describes the profound impact and influence of John Adams in regards to the American Revolution and the quest for independence. While hundreds of works have been published on Revolutionary Hero’s such as Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin; John Adams has not received the amount of attention and/or recognition that he deserves. To many historians, Adams presents a curious case in the sense that he seemingly always did the opposite of what people expected. Adams refused to give into the “popular” or “conventional” and had a knack for surprising both his supporters and his adversaries. Adams himself said this regarding his lack of popularity: “Popularity was never my mistress, nor was I ever, or shall I ever be a popular man. But one thing I know, a man must be sensible of the errors of the people, and on his guard against them, and must run the risk of their displeasure sometimes, or he will never do them any good in the long run.” Despite all the intricacies of his life, John Adams epitomizes the mindset and conviction of the American Revolution.

Adams not only witnessed the American Revolution in its entirety, he played a hugely important role in helping America gain her independence once and for all from Britain. From assisting in the Writs of Assistance case in 1761 to helping negotiate the peace treaty with Britain in 1783, John Adams was an ever-present and polarizing figure for the duration of the American Revolution. Born on October 30, 1735, in Braintree, Massachusetts, John Adams was the oldest of three sons had by John Adams Sr. and Susanna Boylston. In 1751, Adams became the first of his family to attend college when he enrolled at Harvard. After graduating from Harvard, Adams began teaching school and preparing himself for a law...