Adams and Jefferson
Marianne Roasa
HIST134
July 17, 2013
Adams and Jefferson: a Revolutionary Dialogue
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were two historical men who had their own ideas about politics fundamentally, including different views on both the American and the French Revolution. They began as friends. Adams proposed Jefferson to make the first draft of the Declaration of Independence and continued to support him on the editing committee. Although Jefferson and Adams had similar theological ideals , their use of their beliefs as reasoning in their political issues turned out to be very different. As the government began to shape, both men developed their ideas and opinions and found themselves on opposite sides. Adams led the Federalists, who were conservatives favoring a strong government. Jefferson led the Anti-Federalists, Republican-Democrats who saw that the ‘strong government’ wanted by the Federalists was another form of tyranny. Eventually, they found themselves running against one another, which lead to personal wounds to their friendship that were kept open for a while.
An important factor in the different perspectives of both men lied within their understanding of human nature. According to the optimistic view of Jefferson, man was good. As long as they were dependent on the economy, they had no problem. Adams was pessimistic. His conservative and strict upbringing caused him to be skeptical of man and believe that they were susceptible to sin (6,7). This caused Adams to believe that people were governed by their needs, while Jefferson believed that they were governed by morality (31). This understanding caused both men to conjure their own political views and beliefs.
Thomas Jefferson strongly believed in ideals and independence. He wanted an agrarian society. Originally a farmer from Virginia, Jefferson had a good understanding in the people’s ability to govern themselves. He believed in overthrowing a government that did not protect the rights of the
HIST134
July 17, 2013
Adams and Jefferson: a Revolutionary Dialogue
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were two historical men who had their own ideas about politics fundamentally, including different views on both the American and the French Revolution. They began as friends. Adams proposed Jefferson to make the first draft of the Declaration of Independence and continued to support him on the editing committee. Although Jefferson and Adams had similar theological ideals , their use of their beliefs as reasoning in their political issues turned out to be very different. As the government began to shape, both men developed their ideas and opinions and found themselves on opposite sides. Adams led the Federalists, who were conservatives favoring a strong government. Jefferson led the Anti-Federalists, Republican-Democrats who saw that the ‘strong government’ wanted by the Federalists was another form of tyranny. Eventually, they found themselves running against one another, which lead to personal wounds to their friendship that were kept open for a while.
An important factor in the different perspectives of both men lied within their understanding of human nature. According to the optimistic view of Jefferson, man was good. As long as they were dependent on the economy, they had no problem. Adams was pessimistic. His conservative and strict upbringing caused him to be skeptical of man and believe that they were susceptible to sin (6,7). This caused Adams to believe that people were governed by their needs, while Jefferson believed that they were governed by morality (31). This understanding caused both men to conjure their own political views and beliefs.
Thomas Jefferson strongly believed in ideals and independence. He wanted an agrarian society. Originally a farmer from Virginia, Jefferson had a good understanding in the people’s ability to govern themselves. He believed in overthrowing a government that did not protect the rights of the