"He united the states of America" JOHN ADAMS starting Sunday on HBO

[constitutional]

Hamilton created national government and made national government powerful -- Jefferson, being an anti-federalist, hated him. Just bit of history if you wanted to know the background.

 

[ItsTime]

Man I love this series.

 

[MS0453]

It'll be interesting to see how Thomas Jefferson and Samuel Adams are portrayed by Hanks/McCullough in this mini-series.

My only real complaint against the series so far is the portrayal of Samuel Adams as the brute-ish sort of guy. At least thats how he came across to me. For example, that whole tar and feather scene was completely made up. Other than that, it's great stuff.

Oh and to everyone saying that the series makes them wish they could do more, just study Sam Adams. He was practically a one-man revolution.

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

I like it. It would be nice if they would maybe stick in "3 years later," or whatever. They make years look like days.

 

[sophocles07]

1 - French society back then seems like American society today. Concerned with appearances and seeking immediate gratification... pushing aside the hard issues of the day for a few more minutes of happiness. Apathetic. How ironic that today one of America's favorite past times is monitoring the movements of someone named Paris (Hilton).

Note too the similar obsession with cosmetics/fake making up of faces. Cometh before the fall, boys/girls.

 

[Cowlesy]

debate over Alien & Sedition Acts right now on HBO - John Adams

 

[Cowlesy]

Jefferson now explaining to Adams how he blackened his reputation because of it...

 

[nate895]

I now have an idea, lets get an anti-McCain pamphlet in the hands of the delegates to the national convention like Hamilton did to Adams.

 

[RSLudlum]

it's time for Hamilton's America to end!!!!

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

lol very interesting. I don't know why John Adams kept the same guys in his cabinet that Washington had. I would have appointed friends of mine. oh well. And I can see how they scared John Adams into the Alien & Sedition acts. But of course this is just a movie and you can't take a dramatized movie and say, "this is exactly how it happened." I doubt that history as we know it is entirely accurate.

 

[MS0453]

As usual, the episode was great. Just unfortunate that it's going to be over soon. I could watch these particular actors play these figures for hours.

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Did Thomas Jefferson ever say why he owned slaves? Such a great guy but the slave-owning thing seems so unlike him.

 

[torchbearer]

Did Thomas Jefferson ever say why he owned slaves? Such a great guy but the slave-owning thing seems so unlike him.

Sociologically, if he didn't see the slave as human, but animal, he could rationalize ownership. Not saying he thought this, and not saying slaves were animals. Just saying that is how one could rationalize being for equal rights and owning a slave.
You have to somehow rationalize that the different looking human is a lesser class or race. Which I'm sure was a common thought of the day, despite how revolting such a thing sounds to us today.

You have to understand, that with the education of that day... when early explorers saw new peoples that looks different from them... and perceivable less advanced, one would think of yourself as serperate and higher than the almost animal like tribals early white explorers met.
In summary, the didn't see them as the same, so they didn't see them as equal.
Thus having one as a pet didn't seem that demeaning. Sort of like having a monkey in a zoo. Monkeys are now making and using simple tools. Is it immoral to treat sentient creatures in such a fashion?

Many interesting questions... I'm kinda glad the movie didn't try to paint one way or the other.

Anyone know if this will be on DVD?

 

[familydog]

Did Thomas Jefferson ever say why he owned slaves? Such a great guy but the slave-owning thing seems so unlike him.

Jefferson makes his opinion on blacks quite clear in Notes on the State of Virginia. One of the arguments he puts forth is that black people are incapable of being loyal to this nation, due to some inferiority that he does not name.

 

[SeanEdwards]

I AM THRILLED beyond belief that this story is now being shown to the masses.

Shortly after 9-11, I felt as if I didn't know enough about my country. Like that famous saying -"You don't know what you've got till it's gone," the enormity of what took place on that day re-awakened my patriotism. I decided to read up on the American Revolution. The first book I chose was John Adams.

I found that the book read like a movie. David McCollough is so discriptive in his writing, that you feel as if he's taking you back in time on an amazing journey. I also came away never realizing the importance of John Adams - especially for his diplomatic mission in France. The sacrifices these people made were inspiring. I believe at one point he was away from home for 10 years while Abigail took care of the farm.

I had a kind of similar experience. At some point after 9/11, I got really interested in the founders and Thomas Jefferson in particular. As I read about Jefferson, I learned more and more about his relationship with Adams, and that led to me reading McCulloughs biography. Wow! What a book that was! I'm not usually into reading biographies, but "John Adams" blew me away. It really drew me in, and make me feel like a witness to history.

P.S. Early in the book is a reprint of the original to-do list that Adams wrote for himself prior to leaving for the first Continental congress. Item one on the list: Encourage the production of hemp! That still cracks me up.

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Did you like the finale? I watched it last night. John Adams & Thomas Jefferson died exactly on the same day, exactly 50 years after the independence. 4th of July, 1826. That's really not that long ago. If they had lived just a few more years, we might have photographs of them right now.