I don’t know that it’s a hobby as much as an interest, but I’m a big fan of American history. It started out when I was a kid watching School House Rock on Saturday morning cartoons. My mom is a big historian and is a walking library on the subject. I remember my mom telling us the real stories of how the U.S. was founded and not the candy coated version we were given in school. (The real story behind the pilgrims and the Mayflower makes Thanksgiving kind of a sick joke of a Holiday!)
My 3 favorite periods of American history are the American Revoloution, World War 2, and the Civil rights movement in the 60’s. (With that I’m developing a keen interest the the Vietnam War era and the baby boomer generation of my parents. Tom Brokaw’s new book “BOOM!” is on my to read list.)
I just started watching the HBO mini series “John Adams” that recently came out on DVD. It’s based on the David McCullough book. Having read the book first, I found the mini-series initially a bit disappointing. (Isn’t that always the case?) It’s like a reader’s digest condensed version, which I kind of expected, but sheez. Also, if you’re not very familiar with American History during this time period, you may find it a little difficult to follow. But the more I watch it, the more it grows on me. Particularly the portrayal of his wife Abigail who really should be credited as one of the “founding fathers”. If you’ve ever had an interest in how the U.S. came to be, but don’t know where to start, go out and rent this series. It’s condensed to 3 DVD’s. Then read the book to fill in the blanks.
One error I noticed on the DVD…probably just an error of omission…is during the trial of the Boston Massacre. In the DVD you get the impression that all of the british soldiers involved were acquitted, which is not completely accurate. 2 of the soldiers that initiated the shooting were convicted of Manslaughter (initially all were charged with murder.) To emphasize Adams skills in the courtroom, he defended the British soldiers in a trial by a jury of american colonists, and rendered acquittals of the soldiers because they were tricked into firing on innocent colonists by an angry mob.
John Adams is one my favorites of the “founding fathers”. He was highly intelligent, had no patience for stupid people, was very blunt and not your typical politician. He spoke his mind and said things most people thought but feared saying in public. In spite of his part in the American revoloution he always made his family a priority. He also did not believe in slavery and did not own a single slave which was quite common amongst our founding fathers.
Knowing that he had a reputation for being highly impassioned and even a bit obnoxious, Adams talked Thomas Jefferson into wrtiting the Declaration of Independence because of his writing skill. (If you haven’t read the Preamble of this document since you were in chool, read it again. It’s an amazing writing and one that our government needs to review a little more often.)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
He was one of the authors of the Federalist Papers and advocated our current legislative system of Bicameralism. Looking at our modern Government, I find his idea of seperating the rich and affluent from the working and lower class as a check and balance….. an interesting idea.
An excellent companion book is David McCullough’s book “1776″. It was written based on the research he did during “John Adams” and focuses more on the military action and George Washington’s part of the American revoloution.
Both are pretty fast reads when you get into them.
