Sunday, July 3, 2011
John Adams' Vision of America
Although this isn't in the correct chronological order, I felt that it was a good scene to share today. On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to ratify the Declaration of Independence. But the road to that moment was a long one. John Adams' was incredibly frustrated with his fellow congressmen who were holding up the process, particularly over the issue of slavery. (I guess not much has changed!) This scene shows his frustration with his colleagues and speaks to the vision he had of American Independence. What is most important to note here, is that the songs in this musical were largely taken from actual letters written between John Adams and his wife Abigail. This is one of those songs. When you hear him speak of seeing "fireworks, pageants and pomp and parade," remember that John actually wrote those things. He truly understood that what they were attempting to do would mean so much to so many in the future.