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The second president and the most underappreciated founder. McCullough discusses Adams's intellectual depth, his principled unpopularity, and his role in establishing the peaceful transfer of power when he lost the 1800 election to Jefferson.
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Canon
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After years of bitter enmity, Adams and Jefferson reconciled in old age through a remarkable correspondence. Their friendship, restored in their final years, redeemed their shared legacy and provided an enduring model of reconciliation.
Highlights
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Adams's peaceful transfer of power in 1800 was as important as Washington's resignation
Adams lost the bitterly contested 1800 election to his rival Jefferson — and peacefully left office. This established that losers accept electoral results, a norm without which democracy cannot function.Was this useful?