For the men who walked in 1776, the war for independence was neither a proven success or a beaten path. They paved a trail, unsure if it would take them anywhere, sacrificing their lives and fortunes for a great experiment. Those of us who walk their trail in 2026 are beneficiaries of their risks and sacrifices.
The Founders believed that their choice to declare independence from Great Britain was necessary, a duty and even a right. “When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government,” the authors of the declaration declare. Their right and duty to form a new government did not guarantee them success in the endeavor. The Founders felt the need to alter the course of events, but they pledged “their lives, fortunes and sacred honor,” to an experiment.
The uncharted territory of a new nation rested upon her leaders. This experiment and story was lived in real time by the John Adams family. We read the sacrifices of the John Adams Family in our history books, but their journals and letters are not just a record of our nation but of their lives.
“I have long been of opinion that our country is the worst in the world for a prophet to live in,” wrote John Adams to his friend Samuel Adams. “It is not possible to foresee events with us, as in other countries. Changes upon changes may be expected, but what, when, and how, must be left to time.”
John Adams’ missions abroad started in 1778 when he travelled to France to help arrange a treaty between the United States and France. The treaty between the two nations was signed before he arrived. He came back to America in August 1779 and, a few short months later, left again for Europe in November 1779, just four months after getting home. He would spend the next ten years representing the United States in Europe.
John Adams helped draft the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which would officially end the War for Independence. He signed it along with Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and Henry Laurens. Despite this historical success for the United States, his work in Europe was far from over. Two years later, John Adams was standing in front of King George III petitioning to enter his court as United States Minister Plenipotentiary.
As appointed United States Minister Plenipotentiary to Great Britain, John Adams was tasked with mending the relationship between the United States and Great Britain. John Adams was presented to King George’s court in early June 1785, roughly 2 years after the end of the war between the two countries. John Adams recounted the story in a letter to John Jay, dated June 2nd 1784.
The Palace was full of ministers of state, bishops and courtiers. “I was the Focus of all Eyes,” wrote John Adams. He stood in the Palace for some time, the awkwardness alleviated by the presence of Swedish and Dutch Ministers. He was then received as a private meeting with King George and the Secretary of State. Bowing three times while crossing the room, in accordance with custom, John Adams approached the king. In his opening lines, John Adams declared to King George that this moment between himself and the King, or rather the United States and Great Britain, will be an epoch in history.
“I think myself more fortunate, than all my fellow Citizens, in having the distinguished Honour, to be the first to Stand in your Majesty’s Royal Presence, in a diplomatic Character,” wrote John Adams while recounting what he said to King George. “I shall esteem myself the happiest of men, if I can be instrumental in recommending my country, more and more to your Majesty’s royal benevolence and of restoring an entire esteem, confidence and affection, or in better words, ‘the old good nature and the old good humour’ between people who, tho separated by an ocean and under different governments have the same language, a similar religion and kindred blood.”
In this moment of historic significance, John Adams recounted that the King listened with “an apparent emotion.” Not knowing why his speech would have this effect on the King, John Adams credits it to the “nature of the interview,” his “visible agitation,” and that he “felt more than [he] could express.”
“The circumstances of this audience are so extraordinary,” replied King George. “The language you have now held is so extremely proper, and the feelings you have discovered, so justly adapted to the occasion, that I must say, that I not only receive with pleasure, the assurances of the friendly dispositions of the United States, but that I am very glad the choice has fallen upon you to be their Minister.”
“I have been thus minute in these details, because they may be useful to others hereafter to know,” concluded John Adams, in the final lines of his letter to John Jay.
By 1812 tension between the United States and Great Britain had escalated and this time it was John Quincy Adams who helped restore peace between the two nations. In 1812, John Quincy Adams was serving as US Minister of Prussia. John Quincy Adams helped draft the Treaty of Ghent. He would eventually sign it on December 24th, 1812.
“Lord Gambier delivered to me the three British Copies, and I delivered to him the three American Copies of the Treaty, which he said he hoped would be permanent; and I told him I hoped it would be the last Treaty of Peace between Great-Britain and the United States,” wrote John Quincy in his journal entry dated December 24th, 1814.
For those of us living 250 years away from our Declaration of Independence, it is easy to see why and how the American experiment was a success. But the Adams family had no guarantee their country would survive. It was a pledge of lives, fortunes, and sacred honor that would be lost with their country if they did not succeed.
“I know that success is seldom at human disposal,” writes John Quincy Adams when given a new assignment. “And that censure if unmerited is an evil, not intolerable. It is not therefore the responsibility of this agency that I dread, but it is the magnitude of the trust, and my own incompetency; the first being only my personal concern; but the last involving the most important interests, and the welfare of my Country.” At times, the success of the American experiment depended on the virtue and competency of the leaders. John Quincy Adams’ doubts were of himself, but his motivation was the welfare of his country. A country he helped hold together during the War of 1812, and whose father represented for over a decade abroad, and governed during the early years of separation.
As a wise president and diplomat observed, “it is not possible to foresee events with us, as in other countries. Changes upon changes may be expected, but what, when, and how, must be left to time.” The Adams family lived through those changes and helped navigate a new country through the challenges of war and politics.
Leah Johns is the Editor and Chief of the Rostra and is a sophomore at John Adams College. She loves reading, writing and engaging with the best ideas of the past.
