President John Adams

American History Hit

History Hit

America, History

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 17 August 2023

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Sequels are always hit and miss. So what must it have been like to be the second President of the United States, following the man who originated the role?

This was John Adams' position, stepping into the shoes of fellow founding father George Washington. To find out about how Adams navigated his presidency and the diplomatic crises that arose during it, Don spoke to Christopher Young.

Chris is a Professor of History at Indiana University Northwest and, among his many publications, wrote “Serenading the President: John Adams, the XYZ Affair, and the 18th-Century American Presidency” for Federal History.

This is the second episode of our new series on American History Hit in which, every two weeks, Don and an expert will explore the presidencies of the US' former Commanders-in-Chief.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.

Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	It's mid-October in Paris 1797.
0:05.0	The U.S. President has dispatched a special commission to France to negotiate a deal.
0:10.0	Relations between the 20-year-old American Republic and the French one, which began with best intentions, have soured.
0:17.0	The French claim we've stabbed them in the back, after once so eagerly seeking their precious financial and military support against the British in our fight for independence.
0:27.0	Now though, tables have turned, and their Navy and privateers are praying on U.S. merchant ships.
0:33.7	The Commission has sailed the Atlantic to secure a peace.
0:37.1	The American envoys, Charles Coatesworth Pyckney, John Marshall, and Eldbridge
0:42.2	Gary had expected to meet with the French Foreign Minister,
0:45.8	Charles Maurice de Talirand Perrigour. But instead they are greeted by general disdain,
0:51.8	along with steep demands for loans, bribes, and an official apology.
0:57.0	Unfortunate timing for the new President John Adams, who as he enters the office must not only live up to his predecessor George Washington,
1:05.0	but now has to keep us from fighting with our so-called friends. The Oh, I do not say that democracy has been more pernicious on the whole and in the long run
1:44.9	than monarchy or aristocracy. Democracy has never been and never can be so durable as
1:50.9	aristocracy or monarchy, but while it lasts it is more bloody than either.
1:56.8	Individuals have conquered themselves.
2:00.3	Nations and large bodies of men?
2:02.6	Never. Welcome to American History Hit. I'm your host Don Wildman with the second in a special series of
2:16.1	podcasts in which every two weeks we explore in chronological order the lives of every single
2:22.2	one of the Presidents of the United States of America.
2:24.8	In this episode we're still early days turning our attention to America's second president,
2:29.8	John Adams, whose presidency is overshadowed, historically speaking, on either side by Washington and Jefferson.
2:36.3	But Adams presidency, which lasts but one term, is especially notable for being the first administration
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from History Hit, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of History Hit and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.