As a gradutate student I am required to write reports on a number of issues related to psychology. This paper is my report on the second President of the United States. I felt that while a book/movie was made of his life, no one had worked up a light profile of his cognitive, physical, and social-emotional state.
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Final Project: John Adams
Second President of the United
States of America
PSYC 8215
Abstract
During a time of struggle and war, a man
came forward to serve his country in a time of its great need and that man was
John Adams of Braintree Massachusetts. And he was to become a leader in the
future of the American colonies, its place in world affairs, and as the leaders
of freedom around the world. He was to become the first Vice-President and
later the second President of the United States. This discussion will address
his life from early childhood to his death to include his cognitive, physical,
and social-emotional development during this period.
John
Adams, Second
President of the United States of America
John Adams (1735-1836) was born on October 30, 1735 in Braintree,
Massachusetts as the son of a local farmer but who later was to become one of
the founding fathers of our nation at a time when the new world fought the old
world for a right to be free of British rule. Raised in a culture rich in
family values and with the understanding of sacrifice and hard work, John Adams
developed a strong cognitive sense and by age 15 was highly educated and with a
well founded understanding of the law. His background as a Quaker and his sense
of self-worth were strong indicators of his early development of mental and
social skills that were to greatly aid him in his later life and he strived to
excel in everything he did. Berk (2010, p.65) said that cultures shape family
interactions and community setting beyond the home, in short, all aspects of
daily life. This could be used to describe John Adams from his early beginnings
to his death as his family and his country was everything to him to which he
sacrificed all to give them the best future possible.
Biological and Environmental Foundations
The makeup of each person is based on the foundation of both
their genetic code and their environment during and after birth. This involves
a number of factors that affect the growth of the fetus in the womb such as the
mother’s dietary intake and his medical condition. In the case of John Adams,
there is little known of this period leading up to his birth but as his mother
was a farmer’s wife, we must consider that she was strong and healthy from
helping work on the farm as was common for this period. With his birth, John
became the first of
the three sons of Deacon John Adams and Susanna Boylston of Braintree,
Massachusetts. His father was only a farmer and shoemaker, but the Adams family
could trace its lineage back to the first generation of Puritan settlers in New
England (Biography, 2012).
Early Cognitive Development
Adams
would have gone through a number of developmental stage in his first years of
life, such as walking and self-recognition by age 2, and developing his course
motor skills (later his fine motor skills) during Piaget’s preoperative stage
(Berk, p.227) of his development. His interaction with his environment would
have allowed him to hear and develop skills in the English language along with
Dutch of which many colonies had been founded by. While little was known of the
social makeup that he might have been exposed to in colonial Braintree, there
would have been family friends, lay deacons and church members from his church,
and neighborhood children by which to aid in his social interactions which will
become a significant portion of his skill sets in dealing with others.
Middle Social Development
John’s
father had wished his son to join the ministry when he came of age and
encouraged John to learn to read and write at a very early age. While the
socio-economic status (SES) (Berk, 2010, p. 60) of his father may have been low
by our current standard, John might have been raised feeling a sense of
powerlessness but this was not the case as his father talked to him, encouraged
him to study the classics, and involved himself in John’s education as much as
possible. When John wished to become a farmer instead of continuing in a school
he did not like, his father had him work hard on farming tasks to see if this
was really his wish (McCullough, 2001, p.34). John found this environment to
his liking but his father did not and sent him back to school. John was able to
receive instruction in languages, poetry, and mathematics while attending
school in Braintree which gave him his long standing love of Latin that was to
long his lifetime. It is during this period in his life that John Adams was
also exposed to the Quaker faith which was to form a basis by which he was to
judge the moral character of local and international society. Working hard,
being truthful, and being faithful to God and family were to be the corner
stone of the personality that was to develop in later years. Also to be
considered is the individualistic social order that developed in the early
founding of the American colonies as they sought out a location in the Americas
from which they could express their beliefs. This forming based on the
individual could be considered the beginnings of the individualistic societies
were to later become.
Adolescent
Development: Cognitive, Physical, and Social-Emotional
By the
time John Adams was 14 years old, he had become a product of his environment
and his genetic makeup as he would be considered short his entire life which
could have also been a result of the local farming diet at that time that may
have relied on cornmeal mash, limited milk, bread, bacon, and assorted roots
like potatoes. The familial environment
may also have been somewhat lacking as his mother was a stern and harsh woman
and was little given to performing a kindness to her husband and children. This
often drove young Adams to retreat into his room to read his Latin texts to shut
out the world and this may have caused John to develop a low self-esteem, be
withdrawn, and have a somewhat depressed personality. In addition, this may
also have driven him to strive harder in everything he did to try and please
his mother as he was known to be one of the hardest workers to ever sit in
Congress in his later years.
John
Adams entered Harvard University in 1751 and began his higher education that
allowed him to advance his cognitive and social development by the influence of
the leading minds in Boston at that period of time. This would be considered as
part of Piaget’s hypothetico-deductive reasoning period (Berk, p.383) by which
the adolescent will form a hypothesis to a problem, weigh and balance different
solutions and variable, and consider the results that best fit the problem.
Early Adulthood
Erikson (Berk,
p.402) was the first to define identity as a major part of adolescence and it
performs an active role in the forming of an adult personality as the teenager
moves from adolescence to young adulthood. John Adams was somewhat confused as
to his role in future society when he graduated from Harvard University in 1755.
While his father had wished that he go on to study the ministry, John instead
became a grammar school teacher in rural Worchester, Massachusetts. He eventually
chose law rather than the ministry and in 1758 moved back to Braintree and soon
began practicing law in nearby Boston (Biography, 2012). Eccles stated that (Eccles,1993)
age changes may reflect the cumulative impact of the changes in school
environment and puberty, or different academic expectations of the educational
settings or both which can help explain the great changes one sees as you
compare each school grade level with the next higher. Each level will show
greater physical development and stronger and more intense emotional response
to emotional issues related to a male/female pair bonding that is starting to
take place. So that at around 20 years of age, John Adams would have been at his
peak of physical, cognitive, and social-emotional growth. His years of teaching
and his apprenticeship during which he studied the law were key facets to his
understanding of human nature and the course of work needed to resolve
conflicts. As time moved on Adams sought out a mate to which he could share his
dreams and ambitions with and in 1764 (Biography, 2012) Adams married Abigail
Smith, a minister's daughter from neighboring Weymouth. Intelligent, well-read,
vivacious, and just as fiercely independent as her new husband, Abigail Adams became a confidante and
political partner who helped to stabilize and sustain the ever-irascible and
highly volatile Adams throughout his long career. This match was to become one
of the turning points in John Adams life as he was now able to discuss issues
and topics with Abigail as an equal partner in his career and his thoughts on
independence for the American colonies. Adams by this point had developed a
positive self-esteem, good conflict resolution strategies, s strong personal
sense of responsibilities for others, a very strong moral character from his
Quaker roots, and a strong and lifelong positive relationship with his peers,
extended family, business associates, teacher, and mentors that was to stay
with him throughout his entire life (Berk, p.468). These factors also enabled
Adams to reach out during time of distress or troubles for advice and support
that he was not receiving locally. Adams said “Friendship is the distinguishing
glories of man…from this I expect to receive the chief happiness of my future
life” (McCullough, p.47).
Social-Emotional
Factors in Adulthood
John Adams
marriage to Abigail allowed John finally to experience the enjoyment of having
children and to give and receive love and affection during a very trying period
in his life. Following the trial of the British soldiers involved in what was
termed the “Boston Massacre” in which he was successful in defending the
soldiers against a murder charge (no one else would take the case); his law
practice became also non-existent and he was discouraged by his loss of
clients. He was depressed saddened for some time but he also found support in
his own moral character when he said that” Reputation ought to be the perpetual
subject of my thoughts and aim of my behavior” (McCullough, p.46). But soon
after Adams law practice picked up again as a recognition of his fairness and
equality and he would reflect in later life that it was one of the most gallant, generous, manly, and
disinterested actions of his entire life (McCullough, p. 68).
Leading
the Way: To Congress and Freedom
Not long after
this in 1774, John Adams was chosen to serve as a member of the Massachusetts delegation
to take part in the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia which was to
decide the fate of the American colonies during what was to lead up to the
American Revolution. His reputation was a key factor in his selection as was
his passion in supporting the independence of America from the current suppression
that was taking place by the British Stamp Act. This act stated that anything
made in Briton or by Briton was to carry a tax stamp and that nothing could be
imported from other countries. This meant that American and International
shipping could not unload goods from France and other ports without first being
unloaded and taxed in England. This interfered with American businesses and was
to have a negative influence on how the British were received. As not long
after the British brought in troops to support the tax and housed them in
houses belonging to the people of Boston.
All of this lay
heavy on John Adams as he travel through the countryside on his way to
Philadelphia and this may have caused him to be very depressed over the trials
and troubles his countrymen were enduring. This would have been a period of
time when Adams had to reevaluate the situation around him and he would have
been considering different solutions to the problems they faced. It is known
that he excised daily by taking a 10 mile walk around the city to take in the
fresh air, which continued even in France, Denmark, and England in later years.
As time passed, Adams was able to
contribute to the delegation of assembled public leaders in numerous ways and
was appointed to head the War Office which controlled supplying both the young
Continental Army and the formation of a Continental Navy. Combined with Thomas
Jefferson, Adams was one of the writers of the Declaration of Independence
which he also became a signer of in 1776. This alone would have secured his
name in American history but which was only the beginning of his long career as
a statesman and scholar. Being selected to the Court of France, John Adams
became one of three ambassadors who were tasked with developing a treaty with
France to support the American struggle and also to develop a trade agreement
by which America could enjoy trading rights with France for material and
supplies. This proved to be a depressing affair for Adams as when he arrived he
was informed that the treaty was already completed and that he was not needed
to support Benjamin Franklin who had become the fancy of all Paris by this
time. Try as he would, John Adams played a losing game of trying to expand the
activities of the French by their Navy so that support for the beleaguered
Continental Army could take place. This action was not supported by Franklin
and the French counsel would have none of it. After nearly a year away from
home, Adams role in France was cancelled without explanation which resulted in
his feeling deeply depressed, ashamed of being kicked aside, and angry by the
Congress’s lack of respect for his hard years of service and sacrifice by both
himself and his family. This could be seen as his high level of conscientiousness
(Berk, Table 16.1, p.542) which states that an individual, who has high level
in conscientious concern for others, is hard-working, well-organized, punctual,
ambitious, and persevering. To which
John Adams fit perfectly as his Quaker faith and moral upbringings had raised
him to be and rejecting depression, in 1779 he returned to Braintree, Massachusetts
and his farm and family and took up his lifestyle as a lawyer and farmer to
which he was very happy. But this happiness was short lived as he was soon busy
writing and participated in the framing of a state constitution for
Massachusetts (in which he was the sole writer!) and from where he was further
appointed Minister plenipotentiary to negotiate a peace, and form a commercial
treaty, with England. John Adams stated
in his diary on his second voyage to France, “My habitation, how disconsolate
it looks. My table I sit down to. But I cannot swallow my food…my hopes and
fears rise alternately. I cannot resign more than I do, unless life is called for”
(McCullough, p. 227). This would seem to show that he was in a black depression
over his appointment and the long years he expected to be away from his family
and friends. Again he faced serious infighting with Benjamin Franklin who sided
with the French on nearly everything which in the end caused the French counsel
to reject his opinions and he was not allowed in the French court. This made
his position in France bleak to say the least so Adams took it upon himself to
approach the Dutch for a $10 Million dollar loan to support the war effort in
the Americas. Because of setbacks in the war, the Dutch refused to agree to see
him and he spent a year in writing articles and letters to the Dutch people to
help sway the Dutch people to support America hard fought battles against the
British Armies. During this time, the location and climate in Amsterdam caused
him to become very depressed and he took on a sickness that may have been
Malaria as his housing was right next the foul sweltering canals. For weeks he
laid near death and his recovery could only be because he was given amounts of
the South America bark containing Quinine which is a standard treatment for
this disease. And time he recovered. This again showed his resolve to continue
against terrible odds that were then taking place and his dedication to his
duties finally lead to his securing a $5 Million dollar from the Dutch
Merchants. Untrained in diplomacy and by temperament seemingly so unsuited, he
had successes brilliantly as others and history would attest (McCullough, p.
272). Finally returning to France, John Adams continued onward to his tasks in
France and in 1781 he participated with Benjamin Franklin, John Jay of New
York, and Henry Laurens, in development of the Treaty of Peace with the British
and was a signer of that treaty, the Treaty of Paris, which ended the
Revolutionary War, in 1783. In writing to Thomas Jefferson, he was to state “we
have lived in serious times” (McCullough, p.285), which well explained the
years of internal and external struggle that Adams and the country had endured.
Middle Age
By this time,
John Adams was nearly 50 years old and many of the better years of his marriage
had been missed as at one point Abigail told him that they had been married for
14 years but and only been together a total of 7 years. For by the time Adams
had signed the Treaty of Paris in 1783, he had been away from his family for
another 4 years and only the time he was able to spend with his son, John Quincy,
had allowed him any touch of a home life. It was time to correct that problem
and he asked Abigail to come to France to be with him as she have stayed behind
at the request of her father the Reverend William Smith but he had passed away
in September 1783 and now she was free to do so. The middle adulthood phrase of
family life cycle is often referred to as “launching the children and moving
on” (Berk, p. 543) and this could be applied to the condition of the Adams
family as John Quincy was now a tall young man, and Abigail (Nanny) was a young
woman with a suitor at her heals. This was very common during this period in
the parent’s life as children would still live with their parents until they
were married which could be well into their adulthood. While some of their
children would remain in Massachusetts, the rest were to live with the John and
Abigail outside Paris for some time to come. This portion of time would have
allowed John Adams to regain his family support and he enjoyed traveling and
showing his wife and daughter French society, which was a great shock to
Abigail when compared to Quaker society of that time.
No one, of course, can deny the importance of learning and culture in all
aspects of human life. But cognitive science has shown that there must be
complex innate mechanisms for learning and culture to be possible in the first
place (Pinker, 2004). This interaction with an older and possibly more advanced
French culture had shaped John Adams world view and would have been a powerful
influence in what he considered to be important in his life and he endeavored
to pass this on to his family. This education would include the theater,
Abigail and Nanny fell in love with, but also the rich food and wine to be had.
But John Adams must have had some interesting talks with his wife as she gained
control over the household duties of a very large French estate in the country
outside Paris. This had to do with the hiring of servant to staff the estate,
work on the gardens and grounds, the coachman, and chamber maids and cooks to
care and feed them. As the staff would only perform their “duties” they could
not be found to assist the cook or other things that Abigail wanted them to do.
This would have caused considerable stress between husband and wife as each
servant had to be paid by John’s salary and was not part of the government’s
economic budget so Abigail fought necessity every step of the way. This issue
was to continue for many years to come until in 1788, John and Abigail finally
returned to America after having served in the French, British, Spanish, and
the Dutch court as ambassador and trade counsel. Now it was said that he was to
become the first Vice-President of the United States while George Washington
was to become the first President of the United States. John Adams was to later
state that “Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives”
(McCullough, p. 387). This remark can be considered a testament to the courage
and honor shown by this man for his country and he was to continue serving for
nearly the rest of his long life. On June 17, 1788, John and Abigail returned
home to as thundering roar of cannons and cheers as the country welcomed them
back after the long ten years they had been away and John must have been very
heartened by this welcome as many time he had felt depressed, unappreciated,
and forgotten by the people and the Congress. Whereas, he came home as a
conquering hero who had shaped the future of America sometimes single-handedly
and while he stood in awe, he found that he had been mistaken. His current
duties done, Adams soon returned to the life of a farmer that he loved and his
family and children (now grown tall) as he relaxed. A French author, J.P.
Brissot de Warville on stopping by Adams Braintree farm stated that Adams was
“like one of the generals and ambassadors of the golden age of Rome and
Greece…forgetful of his books and royal courts” (McCullough, p. 391). This
could be taken as an example which few men of that time could match and says
much of how John Adams appeared after the long years of toil and trouble upon
his return to civilian life. Other remarked that Adams was very approachable,
most pleasing benevolence, deep thinking, and of unbending integrity
(McCullough, 393) which also support the opinion that John Adams had reached
the peak of his maturity, had grown to understand and control his behavior as
needed, built a solid foundation within his career and marriage, and was
unafraid of what the future might hold. And on April 13, 1789, John Adams made
his way to New York to take on the position of the first Vice-President of the
United States which may have been a flattering trip as he was surrounded by US
Cavalry and there continued all along the roads were crowds to welcome, cheer,
and support him in this important position.
Vice-President of the United States and President of the
Senate
Now 53 years of age, John Adams began his next career at a time and period
when most men would have retired and settled down on the farm porch, but John
was still driven to contribute everything he could to the country whose freedom
he had created over the many years. Berk stated (Berk, p. 556) that midlife
career changes were seldom radical; they typically involved leaving one type of
work and moving to one that was related. This was the case for John Adams as he
moved from being a career diplomat to one of career politician and was work he
was familiar with because of his many years working on trade issues and state
boundaries. Again the issues of his
personal finance were in the forefront as he was now required to rent a home in
New York, outfit it, and pay for moving and household expenses at a time when
he had no idea of his salary or even if he had one! This was to prove a very
stressful time for Adams and his wife as they had just spent a large amount of
money in remodeling their current home and could not rely on his future alary,
again if any. (It was later known that George Washington had to secure a loan
for his own move to New York.) On taking his seat as the President of the
Senate, John told the assembly “A trust of the greatest magnitude is committed
to this legislature and the eyes of the world are upon you” (McCullough, p.
402). As was the norm, Adams took his job in the Senate very seriously and was
soon an object of debate as the Senate took up the issues of titles and how the
President etc. was to be addressed. And Adams debated hotly at a time when he
should have been a controlling voice and allowed the Senators to decide the
right. This issue was to plague him for
many years to come as his opinion had become odious to the people. This would
also be a time when his depression and despair over his own and the actions of
others about him when luxury become the norm for members of Congress as he did
not support this issue and rallied against it. In the end he again felt
battered and unappreciated in his position and this may have been true as he
had seriously damaged his career and had become a laughing stock of Congress at
a time when great issues were still to be seen to. One of which was the
formation of the Supreme Court, how many judges would sit on it and for how
long, but another was to become the dreaded French Revolution which was announced
on September 19, 1789 in the New York Daily
Gazette. This set off a firestorm as everyone took sides on the issues of
freedom for the people of France. This was a trying time for Adams as he was
very concerned that the people of France would be easily swayed so that the
majority of the few could cause great damage to the welfare and structure that
was France. And this was to be seen as a true statement when hundreds of nobles
where beheaded with nothing but a show trial and the treasures of centuries were
stolen and broken down to buy bread to feed the hungry.
Moving Again
In the fall of 1790 Congress voted to re-locate to Philadelphia for 10
years while a new capital was being built on the Potomac River, this in later
years would be named Washington after our first President. So John Adams and
his wife Abigail were uprooted and they moved to Philadelphia and finding a
house on what was known as Bush Hill overlooking the city. Again there was
stress related issues as Adams again had to cover the cost of the move and all
the related problems that come with it.
At this point in his career, Adams would have been facing a number of
issues in which he struggled with family matters as his daughter Nanny had just
had her third child and her husband had gone to England to speculate on trade
matters and was not providing support for his family. And his issues over the
question of titles would cause him great concern as his former friend, Thomas
Jefferson, had now turned on him and stated that Adams supported a monarchy
which John Adams strongly disagreed to. Thereby destroying a friendship which
had lasted for over 14 years and would have left John weak and confused over
the turn of events at a time when he greatly needed his support. By 1793,
George Washington had accepted a second term and John Adams was again elected
as the Vice-President which was somewhat surprising to him considered the bad
press he received in the local newspapers. It was at this same time that France
and Briton were again at war and numerous factors tried hard to draw the young
country back into the fighting on the side of France. But Washington was able
to publish a Proclamation of Neutrality which kept the country out of this
current conflict while alienating thousands of Americans who actively wanted to
support the French. To combat his feeling of frustration, John Adams would
continue his long walks and stated to his son Charles “Move or die is the
language of our Maker in the constitution of our bodies” (McCullough, p. 452)
and he would excel at this activity for many years yet to come. America had
taken a giant step back from the struggles of war but the British were to cause
America trouble in any case by blockading any American trade and taking sailors
off of US shipping and forcing them to serve the British Crown. While the Jay
Treaty with Briton gave the US some breathing room it was the last event for
President George Washington and for John Adams as Vice President. In 1796, John
Adams became the second President of the United States.
President John Adams
John Adams by this time was well into middle to late adulthood
and had to be facing a number of issues related to Abigail and his own health
as Abigail had become very ill just before his election and had elected stay in
their home in Massachusetts for some time to recover her strength. When we
consider the effects of aging we must first consider the negative influences among age,
self-regulation of possible selves, and goal pursuit on well-being were offset
by the positive influences among age, goal adjustment, and optimization on
well-being. The net effect is that with advancing age, well-being is protected
in the face of age-related declines in self- and developmental goals (Frazier,
2007). And this statement may well have been true for Adams as he had continued
his daily walks and worked hard on his farm in the months leading up to his
next career as President. The Congress was still located in Philadelphia
waiting for the new capital to be built and Adams walked into the Federal
Building housing the Congress with his own level of determination and
self-worth and worked to address the serious issues then facing the country.
This he accomplished during his presidency when he re-built the Navy and Army
which has literally melted away after the war with the British was over. During
this same period, John and Abigail were delighted to hear that their oldest
son, John Quincy, had been married in London in July while serving as
ambassador to the British court. This continuation of his family line would
have been welcome news for Adams as was the success that John Quincy had
accomplished at such a young age (the early 30’s) to be in such a lofty
position. This delight was quickly lost when former president George Washington
died at Mount Vernon on December 14, 1799. This event was to cause Adams to
fall into a deep depression “we have lost our most esteemed, beloved, and
admired citizen…I feel myself alone, bereaved of my last brother” (McCullough,
p. 533). While John Adams recovered from this shock there were to be many more
as it was turn for the President to take up residence in the President’s House
which was later known as the White House. This situation would have been
difficult for the aging Adams and his wife as all the fireplaces had to be kept
burning brightly or else everything would become damp and cold. And example was
the great audience room which had a dirt floor and in which Abigail was forced
to hang and dry her laundry. But as time
passed other issues took place, to include the loss of their son, Charles, from
“dopsey” and alcohol. One function President John Adams completed prior
to his retirement was to appoint John Marshall as the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court which was to be one of the crowning accomplishments in court
history. Finally Adams
lost the next election and returned to his estate in Massachusetts for the
remainder of his years.
Retired
One factor that was known was that Adams worried about the
effects of his slowing down from the active pace he had always had until
now. He said that “a life of journeys
and distant voyages (so that the stillness) may shake my old frame as rapid
motion ought not to be succeeded by sudden rest” (McCullough, p. 568). He
didn’t know what to do with his time after so long in constant motion ad I
think this greatly depressed him. His focus in life was ended and nothing
remained to press him into action again and feelings of despair and rejection
weighed heavy on his mind when almost no one came to call on the former
President and almost no letters were received. This was to be the standard for
Adams for many years to come as Thomas Jefferson was elected to the Presidency
and John Quincy became a Senator. In later years, Adams again began to write to
his old friends and restart a dialog so as to optimize what time remained in
his life. As happens still today the Adams had placed their entire savings in a
bank only to lose it all when the bank collapsed and left them without any
saving to draw on. And it was John Quincy who sold his own home and bought the
Adams estate so that they could live there the rest of their life. Soon there
was more sadness when Nanny developed cancer and came home to die, as at the
same time Charles wife, Sally was in the next room also very ill. Abigail (Nanny)
died on August 15th, 1813 surrounded by her parents and children.
Abigail Adams, age 74, herself later fell ill from typhoid fever and died on
October 28, 1818, and so the light of John Adams life had gone out.
Final
Days
Death comes to all of us in time and
it has been said that it is more important how we die than in the death itself
and I would have to agree with this. John Adams lived to be nearly 90 years old
and as did Thomas Jefferson, he died on Tuesday, July 4th in 1826
and as he lay dying was noted to have said “It is a great day. It is a good day.”(McCullough, p. 646).
Concluding
Remarks
We were tasked with developing a psychological
profile of a person we had selected for our case history. During which we were
required to discuss the effects of nature/nurture influences, and analysis of
the person’s cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development. Along the
way I discovered a person of very high honor and respect who at a time of great
personal danger and conflict, lead the call to make America free. In grade
school we learned that John Adams was the second President of the United States
at a time just after we had finally won our freedom from Great Britain through
the Treaty of Paris in 1783. But I never learned that it was John Adams who was
the writer of that treaty, that he founded our Army and Navy after the war was
over but while conflict still rang around the world and that John Adams gave
his entire adult life to securing our continued freedom in the conflicts that
followed. John Adams became a living person to me while I wrote these pages and
it is that viewpoint of which you have just read. They say the Tree of Liberty
must be refreshed by the blood of patriots; John Adams was such a man. I was
honored to know him.
References
Berk, L. E. (2010). Development
through the lifespan (5th Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Biography Channel,
(2012). John Adams. http://www.biography.com/people/john-adams-37967
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