John Adams, 1797-1801 by John Patrick Diggins

John Adams, 1797-1801 by John Patrick Diggins

A revealing look at the true beginning of American politics

Until recently rescued by David McCullough, John Adams has always been overshadowed by Washington and Jefferson. Volatile, impulsive, irritable, and self-pitying, Adams seemed temperamentally unsuited for the presidency. Yet in many ways he was the perfect successor to Washington in terms of ability, experience, and popularity.

Possessed of a far-ranging intelligence, Adams took office amid the birth of the government and multiple crises. As well as maintaining neutrality and regaining peace, his administration created the Department of the Navy, put the army on a surer footing, and left a solvent treasury. One of his shrewdest acts was surely the appointment of moderate Federalist John Marshall as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Though he was a Federalist, Adams sought to work outside the still-forming party system. In the end, this would be his greatest failing and most useful lesson to later leaders.

Diggins, John Patrick: - John Patrick Diggins is the author of The Rise and Fall of the American Left and The Proud Decades: 1941-1960, in addition to biographies of John Adams and Max Weber. He is a distinguished professor of history at the City University of New York Graduate Center. He lives in New York City.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780805069372
ISBN 10	0805069372
Title	John Adams, 1797-1801
Author	John Patrick Diggins
Series	American Presidents Ser
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Times Books
Year published	2003-06-11
Number of pages	200
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.