John Quincy Adams: View of America

Fig. [1]

            John Quincy was born in 1767 in Braintree, Massachusetts, the first born of John and Abigail Adams.  He began public service at ten years old when he accompanied his father to France to negotiate help from the French crown.  John Quincy would grow up in the world of American diplomacy and politics for seventy plus years.  He was appointed minister to Holland under George Washington at twenty-six. Under John Adams presidency he was appointed minister to Prussia at twenty-nine. At Thirty-five, John Quincy was elected to the U.S. Senate. President Madison appointed him minister to Russia at forty-one.  Eight years later he became Secretary of State under President Monroe. At fifty-seven years old he rose to the presidency in 1825.  Adams would serve one term as president and then would serve another eighteen years in the House of Representatives.

            By executive order Adams announced to the Secretary of War the deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.  The order in effect directed how the army was to mourn the passing of two of America’s greatest heroes.  Adams directed for Thomas Jefferson “that funeral honors be paid to him at all military stations, and that officers of the Army wear crape on the left arm, by way of mourning, for six months.”  This was to be done for John Adams as well.  In addition to these, the following Tuesday was to be “a day of rest” for the army to honor Adams and Jefferson and the flag was to be flown at half mast.  President Adams ordered one more honor for the fallen presidents, he directed that “[a]t early dawn thirteen guns shall be fired, and at intervals of thirty minutes between the rising and setting sun a single cannon will be discharged, and at the close of the day twenty-four rounds.”

            John Quincy Adams was also struck by the coincidence that both men died on the same day and that day happened to be the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence the document that both men would be best remembered for.  John Quincy Adams was so struck by this that he made the statement “[a] coincidence of circumstance so wonderful gives confidence to the belief the patriotic efforts of these illustrious men were Heaven directed…under the special protection of a kind Providence.”  A sentiment that he would repeat eleven years later at the city of Newburyport, Massachusetts during the 61^st anniversary of the signing of the Declaration.

            On this occasion John Quincy would go even further by connecting the birth of America to the birth of Christ.  He would also state that “Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth?”  Adams is convinced that not only was America blessed by God but that the Declaration of Independence was a continuation of God’s plan on earth.  It is easy to say that John Quincy Adams believed that America was ordained by God and that America had a central part to play in the plan of God.

  
 [1] https://www.facebook.com/299851710031447/photos/a.300087676674517.96435.299851710031447/301653636517921/?type=3&theater       

Adams, John Quincy, “Executive Order”, July 11, 1826. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American President Project.  http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid+66658. Accessed 8/27/13.

Adams, John Quincy, “Address given at Newburyport, Massachusetts”, July 10, 1837. http://archive.org/details/orationdelivered00adam. accessed. 8/27/13.

Freidel, Frank and Hugh Sidey. “The Presidents of the United States”. White House Historical Association. 2006. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnquincyadams. accessed. 8/28/13.

Unger, Harlow Giles. “John Quincy Adams” Boston, MA: Da Capo Press, 2012.