Solomonia Archive: Adams and the Jews

Saturday, August 2, 2003

In late 1820, at age eighty-five, Adams found himself chosen as a delegate to a state convention called to revise the Massachusetts constitution that he had drafted some forty years before.

...Adams boldly offered an amendment guaranteeing complete religious freedom in the commonwealth. As he believed that all were equal before God, so he believed that all should be free to worship God as they pleased. In particular, he wanted religious freedom for Jews, as he had written earlier to a noted New York editor, Mordecai Noah, who had sent him a discourse delivered at the consecration of a synagogue in New York.

"You have not extended your ideas of the right of private judgement and the liberty of conscience both in religion and philosophy farther than I do," Adams wrote in appreciation.

I have had occasion to be acquainted with several gentlement of your nation and to transact business with some of them, whom I found to be men of as liberal minds, as much as honor, probity, generosity, and good breeding as any I have known in any seat of religion or philosophy.
I wish your nation to be admitted to all the privileges of citizens in every country in the world. This country has done much, I wish it may do more, and annul every narrow idea in religion, government, and commerce.

...his amendment failed to pass.

Posted by Solomon at 9:16 AM on Saturday, Aug 2, 2003 | Comments (4)
Click to share this post

Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Adams and the Jews.

TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.solomonia.com/cgi-bin/mt4/mt-renamedtb.cgi/886

» Arrival Day, Week 2 Bonus at the blog The Head Heeb

Another American Jewish historical anecdote, courtesy of Solomonia: John Adams' support for an amendment granting equal rights to Jews at a Massachusetts state constitutional convention he attended in 1820.... Read More

4 Comments

#1 Mike | August 2, 2003 8:08 PM

What does Adams mean when he refers to:
"of your nation"

Nation of Jews? it could not have been Israel at that time, so is he just speaking metaphorically referring to a group or race of people?

#2 Solomon | August 2, 2003 8:23 PM

That's correct. It's metaphorical reference to the "Hebrew nation" or those of the Jewish race, I'm sure. The Hebrew International as it were...

#3 Mike | August 3, 2003 11:21 AM

I don't understand everything as written, of course Adams would write very similar to Old English as he was a Brit originally I believe?

Would be interesting to wonder if the Constitution said anything about religion or this was a special addendum to just guarantee it?

Also was Adams a liberal or Conservaitve for his time?

#4 Solomon | August 3, 2003 2:44 PM

I don't understand everything as written, of course Adams would write very similar to Old English as he was a Brit originally I believe?

Adams was born in Braintree, Mass. (in a part now known as Quincy). His ancestors came over in the 1600's, so while growing up he would have seen himself as a British subject, he also saw himself as a Massachusetts man through and through. Technically, the language would be considered modern English, although an archane (and beautiful) style to our ears today, and an occasional obscure usage.

Would be interesting to wonder if the Constitution said anything about religion or this was a special addendum to just guarantee it?

Good question. He single-handedly wrote Massachusetts' Constitution. McCullough's book says:

While it did not guarantee freedom of religion, it affirmed the "duty" of all people to worship "The Supreme Being, the great creator and the preserver of the universe," and that no one was to be "hurt, molested, or restrained in his person, liverty, or estate for worshipping God in the manner most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience," provided he did not disturb the public peace.

So my guess would be he wanted to even further strengthen that provision.

Also was Adams a liberal or Conservaitve for his time?

That's a really difficult question isn't it? I think it's a bit of a mistake to try too hard to put contemporary left/right labels on politicos of over two centuries ago. We're having enough trouble figuring out what those labels mean today. :)

On the one hand, he was a revolutionary - that's pretty left wing. He believed in government of and by the people, no hereditary titles - a pure meritocracy.

On the other hand he believed strongly in separation of powers and a strong executive and judiciary. He was even unfairly accused of being a Monarchist. He understood that the mob could be as tyrranical as any despot, so he wanted a portion of government not beholden to the shifting whims of the electorate. So while Jefferson was enamored with the French Revolution, Adams was appalled by its bloodiness. Shades of Communism's cheerleaders in the West before knowledge of Stalin's mass-murder became known.

He was for a stronger central government, and wrote a strong duty for public education into the Massachusetts Constitution, so I guess those are characteristics of today's "Left"...but he wanted to strengthen the defences (especially a strong navy) to aid America's commerce and was accused (also unfairly) of pushing for war with France - characteristics of today's "Right" I suppose.

In the end, I'll go with his own wish - he despised political parties, and thought, like Washington, that they were a danger to good government. :)