Who do you think was the most important founding father John Adams or Thomas Jefferson?

Question

I think it was Adams because of the loans he secured in europe.And he's out spoken role during the constitutional convention.And he's role in having Washington made the head of the army just to name a few.

Answer 1

Hector,

I agree that Adams is far more important than Jefferson; but for different reasons.

First -- I'm sorry, but you're mistaken. Adams was not even present at the Constitutional Convention. At that time he was Minister to Great Britain. Both he and Jefferson were in Europe and so did not participate.

But I agree with you. His loans were crucial to the New Nation; and he's never really gotten credit for them. But even more important was what he did on March 4, 1801 -- he left office and went home, leaving the government in the hands of someone he believed to be the wrong man.

Why was this important? Other nations are politically (and therefore, economically) unstable because some people hate the person in office, and so remove them through force. These coups create havoc and guarantee political instability.

But Adams believed in the absolute primacy of the Constitution, and that America must be a nation of laws and not men. And so he established the most important precedent in American history: when the law says it's time to go, you leave -- even if that power is being turned over to your worst enemy. Because Adams established this, America has known political stability like few other nations.

Another reason Adams is more important was that he built up the navy during his presidency. He built four 44 gun frigates (only one of which survives -- "Old Ironsides" -- the USS Constitution). During the War of 1812, these ships provided America with their only substantial victories. In a letter to Adams, Jefferson admitted that Adams had been right to build these ships, and that he (Jefferson) had been mistaken in mothballing much of the Navy. It was Jefferson's policy of demobilization that ultimately emboldened the British to engage in impressing American sailors, and violating American neutrality. Adams' position of "Peace Through Strength" had been the right course; and Jefferson admitted it.

And poor Adams has never really gotten his just deserts from history. I believe Adams to be the single most "UNDER-rated American of all times."

Great question. Cheers, mate.

Answer 2

Studying each of the Founders individually demonstrates that many of them had significant input to the founding of the Nation. Trying to say which is more important is difficult if not impossible. Even so, there was more than one opinion on the correct direction of the new nation and certainly differing opinions of what the new Constitution meant.

In short, these differing opinions split along the lines of the power of the newly created general government within the new federalist structure. As under the Articles of Confederation it was a tug of war between the general government and the States that continues unto this day.

President John Adams was at the center of this (as well as the center of the separation of powers) during his administration and the application of the “Alien and Sedition Act.” During this period he believed (and did exercise) he had the power to select and individual and deport them with no other procedure being involved. This minimized (if not eliminated) both the decisions of the court as well as any statute enactment of the Congress, effectively eliminating the separation of powers and acting extra-Constitutionally. This continued through the ages by such as Presidents Jackson, Lincoln, Wilson, Roosevelt, Johnson, Nixon, and Bush.

While Alexander Hamilton believed that the delegated powers of the Constitution defined specifically what the President could and could not do, he also believed in a strong general government. Even so, it is most likely he would have stood with Madison and Jefferson, against Adams as to the Alien and Sedition Act as being extra-Constitutional.

I further suggest that Adams extra-Constitutional acts, as well as Hamilton’s support of a strong general government, assisted in the evolution of Constitutional interpretation which provided a foundation for the decision of the Chief Justice John Marshall’s court in the 1819 case of McCulloch v. Maryland where he opined that, in the 18th Clause of Section 8 of Article 1, the words “necessary and proper have the same meaning.” This effectively formalized the limiting of the general government to the delegated powers. Adams as well as others contributed to this misdirection of the interpretation of the Constitution.

Yes, President Adams did a number of important things, but his actions also led toward ripping of Founder’s Constitutional intent.

I do not believe that it is possible to select one or two or three of the Founders as the most important, after all, they were people different from us only by circumstances and while they were reaching for the stars, they were also subject to the same base emotions.

Answer 3

They are both important to he founding of th United States.

Adams because he was a driving force behind Independence laying out why it was needed and holding true to them even in the darkest days of the revolution. He laid out for the states what would be the the basis of their government after the war.

Jefferson was the voice of Independence. It put into words what the Revolution was about and for. After the war he kept the Federalists in line as the first of this countries loyal oppositions as a Democrat Republican.

Answer 4

John Adams.

Answer 5

John Hancock....because he virtually financed the entire war for Independence. I think it's kinda funny that you would pick those 2, they both could be the right answer, but they hated each other.

Answer 6

I think it's apples and oranges. Both were crucial. Without either of them life might be VERY different today.

It's a good question. Makes you think a bit, which is good.

Answer 7

Franklin....