John Adams Letter To Jefferson Essay
After losing his second term to Jefferson, John Adams returned to his neglected farm in Quincy, Massachusetts. He had traded “honors and virtue for manure.” It would seem that he could finally find peace, away from the political field. But he didn’t, nor could he. Adams brought anguish on himself. Abigail seen him one day working with hired hands, mumbling curses at past political opponents, Hamilton chief among them, Jefferson a close second. While Adams came up with quite a few colorful description about Hamilton, his rage with Jefferson was completely different. While both Hamilton and Jefferson were political rivals, Jefferson had betrayed Adams’s friendship and personal trust. Adams’s complex feelings towards Jefferson were expounded
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He began writing these letters, first, to “set the record straight” about his view and role in the American Revolution, and second, because he had nothing else to do. In these letters, they had a quid pro quo dialogue of telling each other their dreams. After several years, Jefferson’s name began to pop up in Adams’s letters, and then Rush had an extraordinary dream. In it, Adams sent a letter to Jefferson, and thereby rekindled their relationship. After several years, both “sunk into the grave nearly at the same time”. Adams admitted that could be a prophecy, but it would have to be Jefferson who extended the invitation. This was proved wrong in 1812, when Adams write a short letter to Jefferson. Ellis prompts us to ask ourselves, why did Adams write to Jefferson? Two possible answers are given. One, that Adams wanted to settle differences between them, concerning their different views about the Revolution. He had for decades contested Jefferson’s mythological, simplistic, but widely accepted version of the Revolution. Secondly, it allowed him to have one last shot a earning himself immortality. He knew that by writing these letters to Jefferson, he was also writing the future’s history book. But there is a reason why Jefferson’s prose dominated the books; Adams couldn’t get a solid story. He had filled letters and books on the subjects, but they were a sea of emotional but largely incoherent
He began writing these letters, first, to “set the record straight” about his view and role in the American Revolution, and second, because he had nothing else to do. In these letters, they had a quid pro quo dialogue of telling each other their dreams. After several years, Jefferson’s name began to pop up in Adams’s letters, and then Rush had an extraordinary dream. In it, Adams sent a letter to Jefferson, and thereby rekindled their relationship. After several years, both “sunk into the grave nearly at the same time”. Adams admitted that could be a prophecy, but it would have to be Jefferson who extended the invitation. This was proved wrong in 1812, when Adams write a short letter to Jefferson. Ellis prompts us to ask ourselves, why did Adams write to Jefferson? Two possible answers are given. One, that Adams wanted to settle differences between them, concerning their different views about the Revolution. He had for decades contested Jefferson’s mythological, simplistic, but widely accepted version of the Revolution. Secondly, it allowed him to have one last shot a earning himself immortality. He knew that by writing these letters to Jefferson, he was also writing the future’s history book. But there is a reason why Jefferson’s prose dominated the books; Adams couldn’t get a solid story. He had filled letters and books on the subjects, but they were a sea of emotional but largely incoherent