John Adams And Abraham Lincoln - 1976 Words

Despite the disparity in popularity ratings between the two presidents, John Adams and Abraham Lincoln are both indispensible figures in American history. In times of crisis, both of these men made big, consequential decisions to keep the country from falling apart. However, while Lincoln is commemorated for abolishing slavery and leading the Union in war, John Adams is remembered for the mistakes of his presidency—the Alien and Sedition Acts he issued that took away certain constitutional rights endowed to the American people. Both presidents thought they were doing what was necessary at the time to keep the United States from falling apart, but the contrasting approaches they used left opposite impressions. This can be contributed to the†¦show more content†¦Justice is an important concept to John; one of his core beliefs. Right before the war, John’s firm belief in justice poses a problem for him as the colonies unrest continues to grow. As he said to Abigai l â€Å"I am for the law. And yet in whom is the power of that law vested? The King† (Hooper). He wants to rely on the law for justice but the law is made by the king to take away their rights, an action as unjust as it can get. This dilemma is what drives him to represent Massachusetts in the Continental Congress and what sets him up for being apart of American history. John, as depicted several times throughout the series, is abrasive, offensive, and vain, and this makes him an unpopular person. During the Continental Congress, despite the fact that most people agree with John about standing against the British, they oppose him in votes because of how insulting he is. In France, John is unable to adapt to the culture shock. He has no regard for French culture, he struggles to fit in, and he’s so straightforward about what he wants he comes off as rude and disagreeable so, even though his intentions are good, he harms more than helps. His obnoxious demeanor contributes to the reason he was so unpopular with everyone but Adams actually did a lot to progress America. John’s part in the political aspect of America was most of the time very productive to