On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee moved a resolution, before the second Continental Congress, declaring independence for the 13 American colonies. The vote on the motion was delayed allowing delegates to get instructions from their states. On July 2, the delegates voted for the resolution. John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail:
The Second Day of July, 1776 will be the most memorable Epocha in the History of America. — I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by Solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty.
He was not quite right. To get unanimous agreement Congress made changes during the debate. The resolution was referred to a committee of five, including Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson to redraft the resolution, cutting out about a third of the verbiage and putting it into language that would allow for a unanimous vote. On July 4 Congress approved the redrafted resolution, largely written by Jefferson, and sent it to the printers. It said, in part:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
Two hundred and fifty years ago that was the dream. We are still working toward it.
I told a story at the Albanian American Center’s in Independence Day celebration in Tirana 30 years ago. There had been a nasty election and the U.S. Embassy thought that this story would help put that election in perspective. Earlier I had told that story over lunch to a delegate to the Albanian Constitutional Convention. Word of our conversation got back to the Embassy. I first heard this story on a Norman Corwin CBS radio broadcast when I was a kid.
The two leading men in the writing of the declaration of independence were personal friends and political rivals. They held fundamentally different views on government. Thomas Jefferson believed that people were ruled by reason and therefore democracy, based on the public’s reasonable reaction to events, should be unrestrained. John Adams believed that people were driven by passion, therefore democracy had to be curbed so that passion did not overrun the reason that Jefferson so prized.
Twenty-four years after the signing of the declaration Adams and Jefferson fought America’s first truly contested presidential election. The election of 1800 was nasty, played out under the shadow of the Alien and Sedition acts. The issues were immigration and freedom of the press. For the first time in modern history a government peacefully changed hands because of a vote. But the campaign introduced negative advertising in the form of songs.
“The gloomy night before us flies, its reign of terror now is over, its gags, inquisitors and spies, its herds of harpies are no more.”
“No lordling here with gorging jaws shall ring from industry the food, no fiery bigot’s holy laws shall waste our fields and streams in blood.”
“Here strangers from a thousand shores, compelled by tyranny to roam, will find amid abundant stores, a nobler and a happier home.” (One of the issues was accepting immigrants, refugees who were Scottish or Irish catholic or nonconformist dissidents.)
“Rejoice, Columbia’s sons rejoice, to tyrants never bend the knee, but join with heart and soul and voice for Jefferson and Liberty.”
The other side countered with scandalous stories of Jefferson’s sexual affair with his slave, Sally Hemmings.
Jefferson’s side won, but it was messy, even after the election. Jefferson’s running mate was Aaron Burr. In the electoral college, at that time, electors cast two votes, the one with the most votes became president, the one with the second most votes was elected vice president. Jefferson and Burr were on the same ticket, and when the vote came in, both had the same number of electors, throwing the vote into the House. (The 12th Amendment soon fixed that glitch.)
In the House, Federalists, on the losing side, toyed with voting for Burr to stick it to Jefferson. Hamilton, who loathed Jefferson, argued successfully that Burr was manifestly unqualified to be President and, as fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda know, put aside his personal feelings, and his party and supported Jefferson.
Mr. Jefferson, though too revolutionary in his notions, is yet a lover of liberty and will be desirous of something like orderly Government – Mr. Burr loves nothing but himself – thinks of nothing but his own aggrandizement – and will be content with nothing short of permanent power in his own hand… How then should we be able to rely upon any agreement with him? (Letter to Mass. Congressman Harrison Gray Otis)
Jefferson became the third President.
The scandals aside, the clash of ideas made our nation stronger, at the cost of ending Jefferson’s and Adams’ friendship.
A few years after Jefferson left office a mutual friend, Benjamin Rush, got them writing to each other. He told each of them that the other wanted reconciliation. They never met again but exchanged letters that speak to us today.
Jefferson wrote: “Reason is the helmsman who steers our barque.”
Adams replied: “but passion is the wind that drives her forward.”
Two hundred years ago on July 4th, 1826, fifty years to the day after Jefferson wrote and Adams engineered the passage of the Declaration of Independence both men died, Jefferson in Virginia and Adams in Massachusetts. Jefferson’s last words were “Is it the 4th?” Several hours later Adams suffered a seizure after attending the Independence Day celebrations in Quincy MA. His last words were “Jefferson still lives.”
Historian Joseph Ellis wrote “He was wrong at the moment but right for the ages.”
So, who was right, Jefferson or Adams? I told the delegate to the Albanian convention that both were right because both were necessary for liberal democracy to work. “When Albania learns this, it will be ready for Democracy.”
In 2026 Americans seem have forgotten this and in forgetting we risk losing our democracy. Every day on social media memes decry the opposition as “evil,” “the enemy within,” “they hate America.” They aren’t — and they don’t. Both sides have valid points. But exchanging memes and insults, while protected speech, is not a form of civil discourse. We each need to walk a mile with the other to understand their concerns, their fears, and their hopes. We will still disagree but we may better understand. Two hundred and fifty years ago both world views were necessary. They still are. It is not a zero-sum game. It is not winner take all. To save our democracy, we must remember this.
So, from the depths of my soul, I offer an Independence Day toast. In the words of our second President John Adams; After 250 years
“Jefferson still Lives.”
Happy America 250!
