Contributions to the New Nation

The excessive praise and the unfair criticisms on Washington failed to grasp the true meaning or the importance of the person. Washington’s capacity to lead coupled with his personal principles was what the men and women of his generation truly required. Historians, who examined the ideas of the Founding Fathers and the warfare in the Revolution, have concluded that Washington’s specific contributions to the New Nation were not given the prominence he truly deserved in the earlier scholarship.

The core of George Washington’s noble beliefs is summed up in the following texts:

“. . . the foundation of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable [unchangeable] principles of private morality, and the preeminence of free government be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its citizens and command the respect of the world. . . . there is no truth more thoroughly established than that there exists in the economy and course of nature an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness; between duty and advantage; between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity. . .

George Washington’s First Inaugural Address, 1790

John adams (1735-1826), is better known for his political accomplishments. He served as the second president (1797-1801) and first vice president (1789-1797) of the U.S.,. He also led the movement for independence. In his presidency, an obvious rivalry with fellow-Federalist Alexander Hamilton existed. There were also controversial issues involving government measures adopted to control political opposition. A crisis in U.S. relations with France also occurred during his term due to the divisive XYZ Affair.
Adams, born on Oct. 30, 1735, in Braintree (now Quincy), Mass., was born to a privileged family. The Adamses had lived in Braintree since 1638. His mother belonged to a wealthy Boston family, the Boylstons. Because of the family’s wealth, John Adams was able to attend Harvard College. He graduated in 1755. He embarked into a law profession. His profession enabled him to overcome timidity and he developed into a powerful speaker and a competent advocate. When he was 29, Adams married Abigail Smith, a woman he considered his best friend and an equal.

Adam’s contributions to the New Nation though were not considered prominent. He is often cast in a supporting role in the major events of his day that led to the birth of the New Nation. But, if considered wholly, John Adam’s contributions to the formation and growth of the independent United States may be even more than that of his counterparts, more than the other Founding Fathers of his day. He was fiercely independent. He fought his own party and the opposing party to preserve his independence or ability to choose. Adam, despite political pressures never used, the much-disputed Alien and Sedition Acts that further alienated him from his political affiliations.

His political philosophy, firm stand and unwavering dedication to the pursuit of liberty, he influenced events during his days. His multitudes of writings, where he expressed a clear, personal view and chronicling the birth and infancy of America, served as rich legacy for future Americans.

It is not enough to extend gratitude to John Adam’s accomplishments and limit it within the boundaries of one presidential term. John Adam’s voice resonated all across the two centuries of history that he influenced because of his genius and undeniable patriotism.