Written and published weekly by Cheryl Johnson, the Musician's Helper
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When this country was first settled, it was like a clean sheet of paper not yet written upon. The men and women who fought for freedom, based their legislation on morals and the Holy Bible. One couple stands out not only for their contribution to The Revolution, but for their love for each other during this growing period for our country. That couple is John and Abigail Adams. Considering that the first time John and Abigail met, neither was very impressed with the other, you would not think that they would later be called the premier husband and wife team in American history. John was a guest in the home of Abigail’s father, a preacher named William Smith. She was about 15 and John was 24. Abigail was slender and John was quite plump or stout as they would have said. Neither looked nor acted like they were bound for greatness. John actually recorded in his diary that it was a wasted evening. He was seeing Hannah Quincy at that time and thought that neither Abigail nor her two sisters could measure up. He wrote that they just sat there and had no communication skills. Over the next three years, needless to say, something happened that changed their minds. John was forced to interact with Abigail due to legal business concerning the pastor’s house. He usually was accompanied by his friend, Richard Cranch, who was courtin and eventually married Abigail’s older sister, Mary. Eventually, John’s flirtatious relationship with Hannah ended and he was again an eligible bachelor. Time played a big hand in this relationship. A 15 year old girl and 24 year old man was awkward, but an 18 year old young lady and a 27 year old man was acceptable. As they moved past the awkwardness of their first encounter, they began a conversation that lasted 60 years. Conversation alone was not what held the attraction. Letters began to be exchanged between them. Some of those letters that were exchanged in 1761 were quite explicit with expressions of physical and sexual attraction. So the picture emerges of two young lovers. Later, their grandson Charles Francis Adams would publish some of their letters. However, for whatever reason, he refused to publish the love letters. It was obvious that there was an attraction both physically and intellectually between John and Abigail. Love between them could not be held to simply conversation, but with great physical attraction as well. They were married in October 1764 and went on to have six children. Abigail, John Quincy (who became president), Susanna, Charles, Thomas and Elizabeth, who was stillborn. Along with being in the committee of five that drafted the Declaration of Independence, Adams was Commissioner to France, Ambassador to Holland and Great Britain, as well as Vice President, before being elected as President of the United States in 1797. John Adams became our second president and followed George Washington’s lead to promote republican values. Thomas Jefferson was his Vice President and went on to defeat him in his race for a second term as president. During their courtship and while holding all of the political offices, especially those in Europe, John and Abigail exchanged over 1100 letters. The contents varied from updates on the family to informative information about the Continental Congress and his impressions of Europe. One of John’s letters to Abigail, was written from what eventually was called The White House. In that letter he make this statement. "May none but honest and wise men rule under this roof." Adams was also a believer in strong biblical principles as shown in this passage to Thomas Jefferson. Our forefathers founded this country on morality and Bible. I will leave you today with this quote and hope that you have enjoyed this bit of history. With our election just over, I thought it fitting. "Philosophy, which is the result of reason, is the first, the original revelation of the Creator to his creature, man. When this revelation is clear and certain, by intuition or necessary inductions, no subsequent revelation, supported by prophecies or miracles, can supersede it. Philosophy is not only the love of wisdom, but the science of the universe and its cause. There is, there was, and there will be but one master of philosophy in the universe." See below for books that tell about the love story between John and Abigail. Thank you all and remember to B#. God Bless you! Cheryl Johnson The Musician's Helper
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