John Adams
Adams and Jefferson
01/06/25 09:56 Filed in: History
There has been a lot written and discussed about John Adams and Thomas Jefferson's friendship versus political rivalry. Both died on the same day though at different hours. One thing that was not mentioned that I have read is that both men took a piece of Shakespeare's chair as a souvenir. Read the story…
"In April 1786, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, who were close friends despite their political differences, took a horse and carriage on a weeklong tour of England. Both were great admirers of William Shakespeare, and one of their first stops was the Bard’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. According to Abigail Adams, Jefferson was so moved that he kissed the ground of the house where Shakespeare was born — although he also complained about the entrance fees, and Adams called the house “small and mean.”
Among the many relics at the house was Shakespeare’s own chair, where the poet and playwright supposedly sat and wrote his great works. When the founding fathers left, they sliced off a piece of the chair to take home as a souvenir. (A chip of Shakespeare’s chair — which may or may not be the one that Jefferson and Adams shaved — is currently on display at Monticello.)
In their defense, this was a fairly normal thing to do at the time. As Adams wrote in his diary, “We cutt [sic] off a Chip according to the Custom.” Before the ubiquity of gift shops and commemorative snow globes, tourists would scavenge for whatever souvenirs they could find, often pilfering little bits of significant objects or buildings. In fact, Jefferson’s own gravestone had to be removed and replaced because too many visitors wanted to take a piece home."
"In April 1786, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, who were close friends despite their political differences, took a horse and carriage on a weeklong tour of England. Both were great admirers of William Shakespeare, and one of their first stops was the Bard’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. According to Abigail Adams, Jefferson was so moved that he kissed the ground of the house where Shakespeare was born — although he also complained about the entrance fees, and Adams called the house “small and mean.”
Among the many relics at the house was Shakespeare’s own chair, where the poet and playwright supposedly sat and wrote his great works. When the founding fathers left, they sliced off a piece of the chair to take home as a souvenir. (A chip of Shakespeare’s chair — which may or may not be the one that Jefferson and Adams shaved — is currently on display at Monticello.)
In their defense, this was a fairly normal thing to do at the time. As Adams wrote in his diary, “We cutt [sic] off a Chip according to the Custom.” Before the ubiquity of gift shops and commemorative snow globes, tourists would scavenge for whatever souvenirs they could find, often pilfering little bits of significant objects or buildings. In fact, Jefferson’s own gravestone had to be removed and replaced because too many visitors wanted to take a piece home."
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"It is but the farm of a Patriot' - John Adams, 1788
Getting around early, we made the 10:15 tour of the Adams Historical Site in Quincy MA. The tour leaves from the National Park Service store at Hancock Plaza. The trolley goes first to the birthplaces of John Adams and John Quincy Adams. The houses are next to each other. It reminds me of The Alamo in that the houses and some lawn are right in the middle of many homes and businesses in a large neighborhood.
The Adams home is below where they lived after John Adams was Peace Envoy to France and Ambassador to Great Britain. There were many original antiques and paintings. The Stone Library was wonderful with 14,000 books belonging to the 4 generations of Adams. The desk John Adams wrote many of his papers and worked on the Massachusetts Constitution is there. This is felt to be the oldest, standing Constitutions in the world and the basis for our Constitution. You can feel the respect and awe for this document by the National Park Service guides and the public. One wishes that many in our current government and administration could have such respect for our federal Constitution. Instead of fund-raising, maybe some historical sight-seeing is in order.
“John Adams is an honest man, often a wise one, and absolutely at times, out of his senses.”
Ben Franklin, in Paris.
