Well, I finally completed my read of David McCullough's John Adams, (751pp).
Some little known facts:
1)The Declaration of Independence was actually signed on August 2, 1776. It was signed in haste because of pesty black flies biting the delegates. The actual signing was a low key event with names of the signatories hidden from King George III; if things didn't work out and the country would fall back into the hands of the British, the penalty for treason would be hanging. It took great courage to put one's name on the Declaration.
2)John and Abigail Adams' daughter Nabby died of breast cancer.
3)If 250 New York votes would have swung for President John Adams, he would have gained enough electoral votes for a 2nd term. He was the first President defeated for reelection, and he left town before the new President Jefferson was inaugurated. Why did he not stay to demonstrate a peaceful transition of power? It may be that he was not invited.
I'm a McCullough fan because his books are so thoroughly researched and referenced, yet read almost like novels, giving a real immediate sense of the times.
I haven't decided on my next book. Any recommendations?
2 comments:
Maybe a historical text/biography on Abgail Adams would do the trick?
There's several of these books on amazon. Maybe the williston library would have a text on this revolutionary?
AK
Thanks for the suggestion. I checked out the book Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts. Your Dad recommended Triangle by David Von Drehle about the devastating fire in the garment district of NY in 1911, so that's a second one I'll be reading.
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