Essay, Research Paper: John Adams

Brandon GirouxBible-12John Adams Everyone here will agree that George Washington was the first president of the United States, correct? What if I told you that under the United States Constitution, John Adams has been robbed of the rightful title of "The First President of the United States"? What would you believe then? John Adams was the son of John Adams and Susanna Boylston. Adams was born and raised in Braintree, Massachusetts. He attended school in Braintree; and at the age of 16 entered Harvard college with intentions of becoming a clergyman, but as you will see God had other plans for him. He graduated in 1755, took his first teaching job in Worcester, Massachusetts, and continued to study. Latin, history, and law were the subjects that particularly interested him, and he soon abandoned his plans to become a clergyman. He turned instead to the law. In 1758 Adams began practicing law, and slowly became recognized as an able lawyer. In 1764 Adams married Abigail Smith, the daughter of a Weymouth minister. The marriage lasted 54 years until her death in 1818. The Constitution had been drafted in 1787, and in 1789 Adams was elected the first Vice-President of the United States with George Washington as his President. Adams took office on April 30, 1789, and served under Washington for all eight years of his presidency. Adams began his career as a defender of the rights of the people. "It has been said," he wrote in a postscript to his Davilo papers, "That it is extremely difficult to reserve liberty It is so difficult, that the very appearance of it is lost over the whole earth, excepting one island (England) and North America. Adams was inaugurated as president at Federal Hall, Philadelphia (the nation's capital) on March 4, 1797, with Thomas Pickney as his vice. This has been the only time the president and vice-president have been from differing parties. Adams served only one term as president, but he has done more for the rights of the people than any other president has done in the past.
Adams left office in 1800. He spent the last 25 years of his life on his farm in Massachusetts. He died on July 4, 1826; ironically, the same day as the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence! John Adams' accomplishments are too numerous to list, but they can all be summed up in four words OUR RIGHTS OF FREEDOM! Now for the proof that I had hopefully left you hungering for Adams was sworn into office on April 30, 1789. Now, George Washington was not sworn into office until May 3. So, for three days George Washington did not "qualify" to fulfill his duties as the president, and as the Constitution clearly states in Amendment 20, and I quote:" if the President-elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice-President-elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified "Thus, enabling Vice-President-elect Adams as the first President of the United States. I think that Christians can learn from this speech in two ways: First: All we as Christians have to do is follow Christ, like Adams, and He will provide us with the necessary accomplishments, weather it be in the field of ministry or not! And second: This speech, like everything else in life should be taken with a grain of salt. For if you know your history like Mr. Edmonds does, you would have realized that the 20th Amendment to our Constitution was not written until January 23, 1933! Thereby removing all doubt that George Washington was the first president of the United States. The point that I am trying to make is that we should not believe everything we hear by faith, no matter if it sounds like it has proof or not! We should be smart enough to contest it, research it, and finally prove it to ourselves!