John Adams

John Adams is one of the most influential men in American History. Although he was born to humble circumstances, he quickly gained a reputation as a very intelligent and articulate man.
In the Continental Congress Adams played a crucial role. Although at first Adams was not convinced that America should break away from England, he soon saw that revolution was the only true and lasting option. John Adams was not a fence sitter and he could not bear to wait for England to answer for the many injustices they had committed. He was thoroughly a man of action, and once he committed himself to the cause of freedom, he never hesitated or looked back.
Adams led the debate for those who wanted to break from England. He felt a very keen sense of his duty to fight for the cause he believed in, and he expressed his ideas over and over again in Congress. I think he felt frustrated that even though a lot of the men felt the same way he did, none of them would express what they believed. He was one of the only ones who did not care about being popular with everyone else; he just stood and told everyone exactly how he felt. That takes a lot of courage and integrity, which John Adams had a lot of.
Besides being a passionate speaker, Adams was also a great persuader. He persuaded people to feel the same way he did, and even convinced Thomas Jefferson that a Declaration of Independence was necessary and that he should be the one to write it. Adams did not seek for glory, he simply worked for what he believed and asked for help from people that had more influence and popularity than he had.
John Adams was not a proud man; he looked to many others for advice and help. His most important advisor was his wife, Abigail Adams. Even though women were largely treated as subordinates during this time, he often corresponded with his wife and asked her thoughts about important political matters. He always treated her as an equal and respected her opinion.
Although Adams didn’t have much formal education and was raised as a farmer, he proved himself to be very intelligent and diplomatic. During his years in politics he made many brilliant political moves. One in the continental congress was appointing Washington as commander of the continental army, since Washington was a very popular and respected delegate.
All in all, John Adams greatly shaped the way American history played out. From his talent as a speaker, to his devotion to freedom and liberty, and to his intelligence and diplomacy, he made a truly great leader. I respect and admire him for his integrity and the devotion he had to preserve the rights of men. Without Adams and many men like him, I might not be enjoying all of the rights I have today.

Perspective from a Slave

I have never been so terrified in my whole life. Strange foreigners invaded our village during the night and captured our family, all except for my mother who is pregnant. I do not know what happened to her, but I fear greatly for her safety. My father, brother, sister and I were led out roughly to a long plank that stretched from the shore to a massive wooden structure I had never seen the likes of before. People were screaming all around me and many tried to rustle free from the pale men and jump off the plank into the ocean. I craned my head around to catch one last glimpse of my home before my head was slammed by one of the men and I was forced down into the miserable dark.

We were led down to the bottom of the ‘boat’ as they called it; it felt like a prison down there. Many rows of bunks stretched out before me with barely enough room for one person to lie flat without hitting their head. We were forced into the bunks and in all of the throngs of people and commotion I lost sight of my father and brothers. I quickly grabbed on to my sister’s hand so we would not be separated. They then chained us to the wooden boards with iron chains that cut and chaffed us terribly. It was black as night down there, but I could barely make out that there was a girl about my age in the bunk right next to my sister and me. She was crying awfully loud, but when I tried to comfort her she spoke words I could not understand. That night, no one slept. The crying and moans of pain kept me up as well as the questions of, who are these men? Where are they taking us? Why do they hate us?

I had finally fallen into a troubled sleep when the men were back. It must be morning even though it is always the same impenetrable darkness here. They brought with them plates with some lumpy mush on them, but we were so starving we ate it all. They unchained us and we were herded up to the top of the boat. There was ocean for miles and miles and miles. No sign of home. Nothing but water everywhere. Tears filled my eyes as I realized I may never see my home or loved ones again. What had happened to my father and brothers? I looked around and saw a group of men on the other side of the boat. The pale men were whipping them and beating them, trying to get them to work harder. Us woman and girls were allowed to walk around and stretch our legs for a time, but many of the pale-faced men were cruel to us girls and we soon came to dread our time spent on deck, even compared to the suffocating blackness.

The bunks have quickly gotten dirty. Every time we come down from the deck we must plug our noses at first because the air is so putrid and stale. There is grime and dirt covering the bunks as well as us. Disease is also spreading. Red sores are starting to appear on some people, and I can hear the sick retching and moaning at night. I fear that my sister and I may get sick soon, there is no way to prevent it in these horrific conditions we are living in.
I hear whispers among some of the men and women that a rebellion is being planned. I don’t know what to think about it. Every day our situation grows worse, but a failed rebellion would cause the pale men to hate us even more. However, I fear for our future. What will happen when we reach land? Maybe to try to escape here and fail would be a better alternative to whatever awaits us.