REVOLUTION.
THE MOST COMPLETE, UNEXPECTED
AND REMARKABLE OF ANY IN THE
HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
HOW FEW OF THE HUMAN RACE HAVE
EVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY OF
CHOOSING A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT FOR THEMSELVES?
FOR THEMSELVES?
AND THEIR CHILDREN?
I AM NOT WITHOUT APPREHENSIONS,
GENTLEMEN.
BUT THE END WE HAVE IN SIGHT IS
MORE THAN WORTH ALL THE MEANS.
>> THAT WAS THE SCENE FROM THE
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED HBO
MINISERIES JOHN ADAMS, ADAMS WAS
PART OF THE DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE DRAFTING COMMITTEE,
ATTEMPTS TO PERSUADE MEMBERS OF
THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS TO VOTE
IN FAVOR OF DECLARING THE
COLONIES FREE FROM BRITISH
CONTROL.
OTHER THAN THAT 2008 HBO SERIES,
JOHN ADAMS MIGHT NOT GET MUCH OF
A HISTORICAL LOOK AS THE LIKES
OF WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON.
HE WAS NONETHELESS INSTRUMENTAL
TO THE BIRTH OF THE NATION.
SO THIS SECOND PRESIDENT WHO WE
ARE FOCUSING ON THIS MORNING IN
OUR WEEK-LONG CONVERSATION WITH
TOM RICKS AND HIS NEW BOOK,
FIRST PRINCIPLES WHAT AMERICA’S
FOUNDERS LEARNED FROM THE GREEKS
AND ROMANS AND HOW THAT SHAPED
OUR COUNTRY, ALSO WITH US
BIOGRAPHER, HISTORIAN AND
JOURNALIST RICHARD BROOK HEISER,
HIS BOOK GIVE ME LIBERTY, A
HISTORY OF AMERICA’S EXCEPTIONAL
IDEA.
RICHARD IS A SENIOR EDITOR FOR
NATIONAL REVIEW.
OF COURSE, THAT SERIES INSPIRED
BY DAVID BUCULA’S WONDERFUL BOOK
ON JOHN ADAMS.
I DON’T THINK, TOM, THEY WOULD
PUT THE JOHN ADAMS THAT YOU
DISCOVERED IN AN HBO MINISERIES.
YOU SAID HE IS THE ODD MAN OUT
AMONG THE FIRST PRESIDENTS THE
HE LIVED MODESTLY.
THAT WAS POSITIVE.
YOU SAID HE WAS QUIRKY,
SELF-OBSESSED, ANXIOUS AND VAIN.
SOMEONE SAID HE WAS GREAT WHILE
HE SPOKE OF HIS COUNTRY, BUT HE
WAS ALMOST AS LITTLE WHEN HE
SPOKE OF HIMSELF.
TALK ABOUT THIS MAN WHO ACHIEVED
GREATNESS
GREATNESS IN SPITE OF MANY OF
HIS PERSONAL FAILINGS.
>> I WANT TO BEGIN BY SAYING
THAT IT’S PARTICULARLY TIMELY AS
I WAS WATCHING YOUR DISCUSSIONS
OF THE FAILURE OF THE CURRENT
PRESIDENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIS
DEFEAT AND TO BEGIN A
TRANSITION.
THE FIRST PRESIDENT IN THIS
COUNTRY TO TURN OVER POWER
PEACEFULLY TO THE OPPOSITION WAS
JOHN ADAMS, AND THAT WAS A GREAT
ACT.
NOW, BEING JOHN ADAMS, HE ALSO
DIDN’T SHOW UP AT THE
INAUGURATION OF THOMAS
JEFFERSON.
HE LEFT TOWN ON THE 4:00 A.M.
COACH TO BALTIMORE.
HE IS THE MOST MODERN OF THESE
FIRST FOUR PRESIDENTS IN MANY
WAYS.
HE WEARS HIS FEELINGS ON HIS
SLEEVE.
HE IS EXTRAORDINARILY VAIN.
HE CONSTANTLY THINKS HE DOESN’T
GET ENOUGH CREDIT.
I SUSPECT BECAUSE, UNLIKE THE
OTHER PEERS IN THIS BOOK, HE
NEVER REALLY HAD A MENTOR.
HE WAS SO OFFPUTTING TO PEOPLE.
HE WAS SOANE ANXIOUS, SO AMBITIO
THAT DESPITE BEING HONEST, AN
INTELLIGENT MAN, NOBODY EVER
REALLY WANTED TO TAKE HIM UNDER
THEIR WING.
HE IS VERY PRICKLY GUY.
I THINK HE WAS ALSO VERY
FORTUNATE THAT HE MARRIED A
WONDERFUL WOMAN.
IT WAS POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CRUSH
ON A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN DEAD FOR
200 YEARS, I HAVE A CRUSH ON
ABIGAIL ADAMS.
BUT I THINK ALSO THAT JOHN
ADAMS’ GREAT FAILURE AS
PRESIDENT WAS BACKING THE ALIEN
AND SEDITION ACTS AND SAYING
ANYBODY WHO CRITICIZES ME OR THE
GOVERNMENT IS A TRAITOR AND I AM
GOING TO THROW THEM IN JAIL AND
HE THROWS A BUNCH OF JOURNALISTS
IN JAIL REALLY MALICIOUSLY.
SO AN EDITOR IN NEW YORK, THOMAS
GREEN LEAVE IS GOING TO BE
INDICTED BUT HE IS KILLED BY
SMALLPOX, SO THEY INDICT HIS
WIFE, HIS WIDOW.
SHE FALLS ILL AS WELL, SO THEY
INDICT THE PRINTER OF THE
NEWSPAPER AND WENT AFTER THE
OPPOSITION NEWSPAPERS.
WHEN JEFFERSON BECAME PRESIDENT
HE PUT AN END TO THAT NONSENSE.
BUT IT REALLY WAS A REACTIONARY ACTION BY ADAMS.
ACTION BY ADAMS.
>> HE WAS SUCH A HOTHEAD.
I REMEMBER READING THAT HE HEARD
A BATTLE GOING OVER THE COMMON
AREA IN HIS OWN TOWN AND WAS
EXCITED.
BASICALLY, HE SAID I DON’T CARE
WHETHER WE WIN OR LOSE, I JUST
LIKE THE ACTION.
IT REMINDS ME WHAT YOU WROTE
ABOUT GEORGE WASHINGTON WHEN HE
WAS BEING ATTACKED FOR BEING
INDECISIVE, AND YOU STATED THAT
FAR BETTER TO BE INDECISIVE AND
CAREFUL THAN TO BE DECISIVE AND
WRONG.
THAT, IN FACT, IS WHAT SAVED THE
REPUBLIC.
WASHINGTON AT TIMES’
INDECISIVENESS WHEN THERE WAS NO
CLEAR WAY FORWARD.
WHILE WE ARE SHOWING THESE MEN,
YOU POINT OUT GEORGE WASHINGTON
WAS STILL TRYING TO ACQUIRE
STATUS IN THE BRITISH ARMY.
JOHN ADAMS WAS CALLING FOR
REVOLUTION.
SO HE REALLY WAS THE FIRST AMONG
THE FOUR PRESIDENTS TO SEE WHERE
THE UNITED STATES NEEDED TO GO.
>> AND AS WAS SAID, HE GOT THE
REVOLUTIONARY BALL ROLLING,
ESPECIALLY IN NEW ENGLAND.
AND I THINK THAT’S WHAT HIS
GREATNESS WAS, IS EVEN BEFORE
THE FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
OF TALKING ABOUT REVOLUTION AND
PUBLICLY SIDING WITH IT SAYING,
YES, I AM GOING TO GO TO THE
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS EVEN WHEN
HIS BEST FRIEND TRIED TO TALK
HIM OUT OF IT.
HE SAID HE WOULD LOSE AND IT
WOULD BE AWFUL FOR HIM.
BUT AS A MEMBER OF CONGRESS
DURING THE REVOLUTION, I HAVE TO
SAY THOUGH WHEN YOU READ HIS DOM
ENTEAR AND DEFENSE, IT MUST HAVE
DRIVEN WASHINGTON BANANAS.
ADAMS THOUGHT HE KNEW A LOT
ABOUT MILITARY AFFAIRS, AND I
HAVE NO IDEA WHY.
MAYBE RICHARD DOES, HE KNOWS
THIS PERIOD BETTER THAN I EVER
WILL.
BUT HE CONSTANTLY IS SORT OF
SAYING, WASHINGTON’S WRONG, ON
STRATEGY.
EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT A SLOW
DEFENSIVE WAR.
THAT’S NUTS.
WE NEED TO HAVE A BIG BATTLE AND