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John Adams - Part 6 "Unnecessary War" 4/13/08

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John Adams - Part 6 "Unnecessary War" 4/13/08

Old 04-13-08, 04:24 PM
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John Adams - Part 6 "Unnecessary War" 4/13/08

I didn't know Adams served during the George W. Bush Administration.

Rated TVPG: ADULT CONTENT

Running Time: 79 minutes

Genre: History, Drama
Spoiler:

Abandoned by Jefferson for retaining Washington's cabinet, President Adams holds firm on keeping the nation out of war, despite French aggression and pro-war sentiment among his advisors. Abigail urges him to sign the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts, seeing them as a way to preserve domestic security. Meanwhile, Adams faces a crisis at home when he disowns his alcoholic son Charles; when Charles later dies, Abigail pleads to Adams to make peace with their son's memory, but Adams refuses, and a disappointed Abigail returns to Braintree. The president is vindicated in the French crisis after the new Secretary of State, John Marshall, brokers a peace with Napoleon I, but Adams fails to win a second term as Jefferson claims the presidency in a run-off with Aaron Burr. Drained by politics and family tragedy, Adams exits the new capital, Washington City, having only recently moved in to the still-unfinished White House. (TVPG) (AC)
Old 04-13-08, 09:27 PM
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Another great episode. I have absolutely loved this series and I have learned a lot even though I considered myself a history buff coming in. This episode really makes me respect Adams' presidency more than ever before. He could have easily caved in to his party and secured a second term (along with a war), but the country would have been worse off. He stood by his principles...you gotta respect that.

I never really knew how much influence Alexander Hamilton had until this miniseries. How scary would it have been if he was President instead of Adams at that fragile time? I laughed out loud when Adams scolded him and questioned his sanity.
Old 04-13-08, 10:16 PM
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Hamilton was a true dick...but he had his coming. I chuckled when they mentioned Burr.
Old 04-14-08, 07:32 AM
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Originally Posted by TruGator
I never really knew how much influence Alexander Hamilton had until this miniseries. How scary would it have been if he was President instead of Adams at that fragile time? I laughed out loud when Adams scolded him and questioned his sanity.

Huge influence - basically Washington's right-hand, which is what drove Jefferson away. The parties were more the Hamiltonians and Jeffersonian/Madisonians than the Federalists and Republicans. That's what made things so difficult for Adams. The irony is that in the pamphlet in which lashes out at Adams, he does endorse him.

Hamilton could have never been President precisely because he had such a strong dominating personality.

That being said, his contributions to the formation of our constitutional government were immense.

Last edited by Red Dog; 04-14-08 at 11:22 AM.
Old 04-14-08, 08:23 AM
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good episode - I liked seeing them live in the "money pit" style white house.

Hamilton had some good ideas - you do need a national army , and treasury
Old 04-14-08, 10:15 AM
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Originally Posted by CPA-ESQ.
good episode - I liked seeing them live in the "money pit" style white house.

Hamilton had some good ideas - you do need a national army , and treasury

Ah, but wouldn't it have been a grand experiment had Jefferson designed the whole thing from the ground up? Sure we'd probably all be hippies and not nearly as powerful as we (once) became... but I bet we might all be a little happier and not quite as indebted to "The Man"

I absolutely adore this series.



-Doc
Old 04-14-08, 10:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Doc MacGyver
Ah, but wouldn't it have been a grand experiment had Jefferson designed the whole thing from the ground up? Sure we'd probably all be hippies and not nearly as powerful as we (once) became... but I bet we might all be a little happier and not quite as indebted to "The Man"

I absolutely adore this series.



-Doc

Maybe but don't forget that Jefferson (and Madison), once they got a taste of the Presidency and the power that comes with it, weren't the freedom-loving individualists that they were earlier in their political careers.
Old 04-14-08, 11:09 AM
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Originally Posted by Red Dog
Maybe but don't forget that Jefferson (and Madison), once they got a taste of the Presidency and the power that comes with it, weren't the freedom-loving individualists that they were earlier in their political careers.
Too few are, sadly. Yet another argument that the Presidency should go to the young. Could you picture the Jefferson of his early days in Paris becoming drunk with power?



-Doc
Old 04-14-08, 12:07 PM
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"Stop gawking! I'm plain John Adams -- just an ordinary citizen. Same as yourselves." I am sure that that was a hard sentiment for Pres Adams to swallow but after giving much of his adult life to the creation and maintenance of the young republic it probably was a relief.

One more episode to go...
Old 04-14-08, 12:39 PM
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Originally Posted by wishbon3
"Stop gawking! I'm plain John Adams -- just an ordinary citizen. Same as yourselves." I am sure that that was a hard sentiment for Pres Adams to swallow but after giving much of his adult life to the creation and maintenance of the young republic it probably was a relief.

One more episode to go...

That was great. When he left the Capital, he basically took the 18th C. version of Greyhound back to Mass.
Old 04-14-08, 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by wishbon3
"Stop gawking! I'm plain John Adams -- just an ordinary citizen. Same as yourselves." I am sure that that was a hard sentiment for Pres Adams to swallow but after giving much of his adult life to the creation and maintenance of the young republic it probably was a relief.

One more episode to go...
I can't wait to see how they portray Adams' life after politics. I wasn't familiar with any of John Adams political career. This show has been great for my understanding of his life. He could be hard-headed and I do think he did a disservice to his children in their upbringing. However, I do understand that was a different time and he was trying to help build a nation.

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