Readalong: John Adams The Road to Philadelphia

Wallace at Unputdownables is hosting a John Adams readalong, and if you haven't joined in yet, you really should. This week we are focused on the first chapter - The Road to Philadelphia.

The chapter is divided into three sections. The first, at only 12 pages, manages to cover quite a bit of information.

The book begins with a quote from Adams: "We live, my dear soul, in an age of trial. What will be the consequence, I know not." While not particularly deep or fancy, the quote resonates with me for some reason, and I can understand why McCullough chose it for the opening. For those who don't know, Adams thrived during a trying time. A central figure of the American Revolution, he became the first Vice President and the second President of the United States, no small feat in a time where many great men were active in this monumental government shift.

Much of the chapter, though, focuses on developing Adams as a person, directly revealing to the reader his personality and some of his background:

As befitting a studious lawyer from Braintree, Adams was a "plain dressing" man. His oft-stated pleasures were his family, his farm, his books and writing table, a convivial pipe and a cup of coffee (now that tea was no longer acceptable), or preferably a glass of good Madeira.

Paragraphs like this form a portrait of the man, and he is presented as someone I would actually like to know. He loves reading, is consistently honest, adores his wife, has a brilliant mind, and is ambitious without being a power-whore. McCullough doesn't portray him as perfect or in an adoring fashion, but the information included certainly puts Adams in a positive light.

My favorite part of the chapter is the revelation of the relationship between Adams and his wife, Abigail. They clearly had quite the love affair going on, each one eager to spend time together and respectful of the other. While apart, they consistently exchanged letters, and it seems that the two could become quite despondent if apart too long (as they often were at this time). Here is a short clip from History.com about how the two passionate lovers met:



I have to admit that now I'm getting excited to read more about their relationship. I may even have to buy a copy of My Dearest Friend: The Letters of John and Abigail Adams or something similar.

While the first section focused primarily on painting a portrait of John Adams as a person, the second section runs down his history from his ancestry through his boyhood to his schooling, his occupation, his courtship and marriage, and onto his increasing role in the politics of the day including his defense of the soldiers complicit in the Boston Massacre, his approval of the Boston Tea Party, and his appointment to the First Continental Congress. Trust me, we are covering a giant chunk of time, and while we are certainly not getting very much depth on each issue, I never felt hurried, rushed, or otherwise confused by the information being presented.

One part of the section I really enjoyed is the exploration of Adams' education. The history of education (whether formal schooling or not) fascinates me. In Adams' case, what I found most interesting was his response to a teacher he did not like:

...subjected to a lackluster "churl" of a teacher who paid him no attention, he lost all interest. He cared not for books or study, and saw no sense in talk of college. He wished only to be a farmer, he informed his father...

Later, when he told his father it was his teacher he disliked, not the books, and that he wished to go to another school, his father immediately took his side and wasted no time with further talk. John was enrolled the next day in a private school down the road, where, kindly treated by a schoolmaster named Joseph Marsh, he made a dramatic turn and began studying in earnest.

The next thing you know, Adams is fifteen and attending Harvard; he is a voracious reader of classic tomes and contemporary political treatise; he is, in other words, a real lover of learning and reading. The anecdote reminded me of the importance of teachers, not necessarily in educating students, but in cultivating a love of learning.

The third section of chapter 1 is only six pages long, and I have to admit I was a bit confused as to its purpose. There's a bit of traveling, a bit of Abigailia (a word I'm coining), and a bit of pontificating. I think the purpose was merely to state that Americans were unhappy with British rule, and mumblings of major revolt were being heard.


Chapter 1 The Road to Philadelphia definitely has set off my curiosity to know more. And I am thrilled to say that the prose is very accessible. I am, however, ready to get into the narrative, to delve into the actual story rather than focusing on expository information, especially since some of that background info is a bit beyond me. I looked up a timeline of the American Revolution, and that certainly helped; although so far the story has superficially touched on decades of time with no real chronology or narrative to hold it all together. My assumption is that the first chapter is generalized in order to set the stage for the detailed narrative to come. That is my hope at least.

Anyone else reading along?