John Adams Inaugural Address
Some of our nation's greatest speeches are inaugural addresses of former president's of the United States. John Adams' inaugural address focuses on his time as vice president to George Washington and the future of the United States. Have one of our political science writers explicate the speech and write a custom project on John Adams.
As the second President of the United States, John Adams offered his inaugural address on March 4th, 1797. George Washington offered his first inaugural address in New York but his second was delivered in Philadelphia, the city selected to serve as the interim capital of the United States. John Adams followed Washington's example by delivering his inaugural speech in Philadelphia.
Adams' inaugural address concentrated on the President's commitment to upholding the U.S. Constitution. The speech begins with a brief discussion of the motivations behind the American Revolution and the historical development of the Constitution. Adams shared his private personal reaction when he first read the document. "In its general principles and great outlines it was comfortable to such a system of government as I had ever most esteemed". Adams then explains some of the specific components of the Constitution that he finds most pleasing. For example, he praised the Constitution's electoral process. He appreciated that the United States was a nation where the electorate could exercise control over the direction of the government by voting every few years. Adams explained that he believed it his duty to uphold the Constitution as the President and he pledged to do so.
Adams also used his speech to praise his predecessor George Washington. He points to Washington's eight years of service. He also highlights Washington's voluntary decision to retire.
John Adams's political highlights would include the following:
- John Adams was a member of the Continental Congress
- Commissioner to France
- Minister to the Netherlands
- Minister to England
- Vice President under George Washington
- The second President of the United States
His presidency administration would concentrate on relations with France due to the war taking place between the French and the British. Adams would negotiate with France to establish a peaceful direction, but this would not come to be. The Hamiltonians, the majority of the cabinet, worked behind his back to destroy his policies.