Every July 4, I like to read speeches and addresses delivered in years past for the holiday. It’s so interesting to see what was on their minds, how they interpreted the Declaration of Independence, what they took from the legacy of the Revolution, and what language they used.
I’ve been taking a closer look at JQA ever since I heard you and Clay doing a 10 things about him, on the Jefferson Hour. The show, by your own admission was inadequate to do justice to JQA. I admit I’ve been more focused on Jackson and his relationship to JQA, but have coming around to having the same feeling about Jackson as I felt about Reagan. That is to be somewhat scared and a little frightened by what they might do. But after hearing the podcast I’m now fascinated by JQA. He truly did and was a part of amazing things. I hope I’m not mistaken that your next book or books might be about JQA. JQA does need a fresh look at his amazing life and rest a sured I’ll purchase the first copy of any forthcoming book by you.
P.S. I recently rewatched the movie Amistad. It would been a great movie except for Matthew McConaughey playing a central historical figure with a youthful Texas accent in place of the likely Boston accent that, a no doubt, Roger Sherman’s middle age self would have used.
John Quincy Adams had such a remarkable life, right up to the end as a crusading abolitionist member of the US House of Representatives. He has been called the last Founding Father, although perhaps it’s more accurate to call him a Founding Son. 🙂
Nonetheless, I can only imagine how Americans reacted to his death in 1848. In light of the increasingly bitter (and ultimately, incredibly violent and nation-splitting) divides over slavery and westward expansion--inextricably intertwined issues, of course--it might have seemed to many people a dreadful bit of symbolism that there were no elder statesmen from the founding generation left to turn too. Then again, maybe few Americans saw it that way at the time, and I’m projecting my own view of history onto the past a bit. 😛 Still, there was obviously a lot of fear about the fate of the republic at the time of JQA’s death, and justifiably so!
Always appreciate your writings, Lindsay! Thanks!!
I’ve been taking a closer look at JQA ever since I heard you and Clay doing a 10 things about him, on the Jefferson Hour. The show, by your own admission was inadequate to do justice to JQA. I admit I’ve been more focused on Jackson and his relationship to JQA, but have coming around to having the same feeling about Jackson as I felt about Reagan. That is to be somewhat scared and a little frightened by what they might do. But after hearing the podcast I’m now fascinated by JQA. He truly did and was a part of amazing things. I hope I’m not mistaken that your next book or books might be about JQA. JQA does need a fresh look at his amazing life and rest a sured I’ll purchase the first copy of any forthcoming book by you.
P.S. I recently rewatched the movie Amistad. It would been a great movie except for Matthew McConaughey playing a central historical figure with a youthful Texas accent in place of the likely Boston accent that, a no doubt, Roger Sherman’s middle age self would have used.
John Quincy Adams had such a remarkable life, right up to the end as a crusading abolitionist member of the US House of Representatives. He has been called the last Founding Father, although perhaps it’s more accurate to call him a Founding Son. 🙂
Nonetheless, I can only imagine how Americans reacted to his death in 1848. In light of the increasingly bitter (and ultimately, incredibly violent and nation-splitting) divides over slavery and westward expansion--inextricably intertwined issues, of course--it might have seemed to many people a dreadful bit of symbolism that there were no elder statesmen from the founding generation left to turn too. Then again, maybe few Americans saw it that way at the time, and I’m projecting my own view of history onto the past a bit. 😛 Still, there was obviously a lot of fear about the fate of the republic at the time of JQA’s death, and justifiably so!
Always appreciate your writings, Lindsay! Thanks!!