John Adams (shown above) is often overlooked because he served between George Washington, the father of our country, and Thomas Jefferson the author of the Declaration of Independence. But Jackie Cushman of the Adams Memorial Commission says his contributions to this country and the cause of freedom cannot be underestimated.
“Adams is part of the Committee of Five, which is actually charged with writing the Declaration of Independence. He was the most articulate arguer about why it was time to declare our freedom,” she said.
Cushman is heading the effort to put up a modest memorial to Adams, his wife Abigial and their son John Quincy Adams (shown right), who may have been the most brilliant of our presidents, and who kept serving the country even after he left the White House.
“He went back and served in the House of Representatives, and many people thought he was crazy. Why would someone who had served as president go back and serve in the United States Congress? But his service was so important for our country,” Cushman said.
John Quincy started his diplomatic career at age 27 as the U.S. minister to The Netherlands and died while still serving at age 80.
“This is a man who was born under British rule. He went with his father right after the revolution when he served in Europe, served as president, served in the United States Congress and overlapped with Abraham Lincoln when he was a congressman.
An Adams memorial has been in the works for quite some time. Congress in 2001 enacted legislation to establish a memorial to honor the Adams men and other members of their family.
Dates, deadlines and more legislation followed, but an Adams memorial, to this point, remains an idea, not a reality.
The lack of a monument for John Adams in the nation's capital has been noted and discussed, with some arguing that this omission shapes our sense of his legacy.
Cushman says the memorial, if approved, would be just off The Ellipse near the White House.
