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Samuel Vanderburg's avatar

This reminds me of Thomas Jefferson’s admonition to “Love…your country more than self.” Adams certainly did!

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Charlie Kendall's avatar

Citizens love it when they know their representatives are actually representing them for the good of the country and the flourishing of the people. They will always have a special place in the hearts of the people.

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Stuart Henderson's avatar

Another great story. I love the prose of the writing from that era.

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Dory Wiley's avatar

The highest IQ President, one of the most underrated, and one of the most moral people to ever hold office. When asked by a reporter why didn’t he give up on trying to overturn the gag rule, he replied, “Duty is ours, results are God’s,” and he carried his petitions to the speakers desk...

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Paula's avatar

A patriot, right to the end. Giving his life to establish a great nation..we need to keep it that way! 🇺🇸

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Angie Wagstaff's avatar

John Quincy Adams, prefect example of the American passion & culture of politics. Great president doing exactly what he loved…serve for our country.

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Johnny Baker Jr. MLA's avatar

To think he served 16 years in Congress AFTER being POTUS!

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Diana Erbio's avatar

Tara, today’s post about JQA reminded me about this post from my Statue Page...hope you don’t mind me sharing it...

DID YOU KNOW...This marble sculpture is among the oldest works of art in the U.S. Capitol. PLUS John Quincy Adams wrote a poem about her!

“The Car of History” was created in 1819, by an Italian sculptor, Carlo Franzoni, after the British burned the U.S. Capitol on August 24, 1814. The clock stands in National Statuary Hall which used to be the Hall of the House of Representatives before it was moved in 1857. In 1864 the room was designated for the display of statues donated by the states.

Today the clock faces an entrance to the House chamber. The “Car of History” is more of a winged chariot than what we think of as a car, and it is traveling through time with a clock for its wheel. The vehicle is carrying Clio, the muse of history through the ages at a velocity measured in minutes.

Clio is holding a book in which she records events as they occur. The car, passes over a globe, where three signs of the zodiac are carved. This too is a representation of the passage of time.

John Quincy Adams who was elected nine times to serve in Congress after he had been President of the United States even wrote a sonnet about this chariot riding through time transporting the recorder of history.

Historic muse! Who from thy winged car

Pursuest thy rapid and unwearied flight;

Recording all that passes in thy sight,

And all thou hearest of the wordy war,

The wit, the wisdom, the conflicting jar

Of ranting, raving parties, day and night

Beneath the sunbeams or the taper light

The frantic reason of this wandering star.

Oh! Muse historic – in thy march sublime

Still urging onward on the wheels of time,

Canst thou not whisper to the chosen band,

But for one day to calm their senseless rage,

And let thy volume bear one blessed page

Of deeds devoted to their native land.

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Therese Daley's avatar

Great story as always. I love how you bring history to life, This is how history should be taught!

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Wally Firkins's avatar

John Quincy Adams did lead a life of public service, beginning as a child with his father, John Adams, our second president.

He seems to have wanted nothing more than to serve his country and his conscience. Thank you Tara.

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Jack Miller's avatar

Thanks to these history lessons, I have learn to admire President Adams very much. Thank you Tara. 🙏💪

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Jim's avatar

Thank you Tara...we sure could use some JQA's today in our Congress!

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Tv's avatar

This is the difference between being a "public figure" with a lifetime of service, and a professional politician. Thank you!

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David K Thiel's avatar

A grant from Mr. Smithson got the Smithsonian Museum started; that is all fine and well. However, if federal funds are involved, unless you can show me in the Constitution where it says we will have a tax dollars funded museum, that is NOT all fine and well. These kinds of do-gooder slippery slopes is how we got multiple trillions of dollars in debt.

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Bruce Barlond's avatar

Thank you, Tara, for another story that I don’t remember hearing of before!

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Burdett Cordell Ward's avatar

Thank you Tara. I learned one more thing about our great country.

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