"We call them Founding Fathers, in tribute, but tend to see them as distant and a bit unreal, like figures in a costume pageant." That is David McCullough accurately describing my former attitude toward the Founding Fathers. I revered them as men who accomplished something great, even miraculous, but could barely identify a handful of them and certainly did not appreciate them as much more than fabled characters. They were heroes from a long expired past and I was only interested in history mostly as a source of exciting anecdotes--
--until I sat down recently with McCullough's biography, John Adams.
Within the opening pages, I sensed the unwaveringly virtuous nature of this impressive Father of my nation. As I read on, the details of incredible (and if it weren't for first-hand accounts, unbelievable) adventures and events captivated my imagination. The convictions and courage of those men were palpable. The reality of the circumstances of the time was unmistakable. The voice of John Adams, himself had me in awe.
This man was a supreme example of what I hope to be. His fundamental creed has become my own, "He who loves the Workman and his work, and does what he can to preserve and improve it, shall be accepted of Him." John Adams was true to what he knew to be right. His life was given to learning what that was and then doing it. His highest concern and satisfaction was in his family. He went forward even in the face of uncertainty and danger. He worked hard, but did not do it for adulation or wealth. He sought to serve his fellowmen and to further the cause of truth. He understood the magnanimity of his actions and the affect they would have on future generations.
Even more than knowing John Adams on a fairly intimate level, I became acquainted with the principles that he and his contemporaries stood for and hoped for. They are the principles that led them to declare independence and to fight for it. They are the principles that they framed the new government around.
"Government is nothing more than the combined force of society, or the united power of the multitude, for the peace, order, safety, good, and happiness of the people.... There is no king or queen bee distinguished from all others, by size or figure or beauty and variety of colors, in the human hive. No man has yet produced any revelation from heaven in his favor, any divine communication to govern his fellow men. Nature throws us all into the world equal and alike....
The preservation of liberty depends upon the intellectual and moral character of the people. As long as knowledge and virtue are diffused generally among the body of a nation, it is impossible they should be enslaved..." --John Adams
