OPINION:
It’s odd to observe the lack of a monument in our majestic capital city memorializing the accomplishments of a man called “the colossus of American independence” by no less than Thomas Jefferson.
We have a Washington Monument and a Jefferson Memorial. With the sesquicentennial just about a year off, now is the time to begin construction on a memorial to John Adams.
Adams matters, especially now. In 2001, historian Joseph Ellis told Congress, “Jefferson tells us what we want to hear, Adams tells us what we need to know. Perhaps now, and only now, are we prepared to listen.” If anything, our current political moment makes the Adamite example of principled independence more essential than ever.
Adams’ contributions to the nation’s founding and its emergence as a nascent global power are worthy of such an honor. Adams was the driving force behind the Declaration of Independence, making it happen when it mattered most. It was his voice in support of Jefferson’s eloquent prose that carried the day in Philadelphia so long ago.
His diplomatic achievements were equally crucial. Acting nearly alone, he secured vital support from Dutch financiers to finance the American Revolution. He later negotiated the Treaty of Paris, ending the war and securing America’s territory to the Mississippi River. As president, Adams kept America out of an unnecessary war, likely at the cost of his reelection, and saved it from bankruptcy and ruin.
Adams authored the 1779 Massachusetts Constitution, creating the template for judicial independence that emerging democracies worldwide still replicate. His appointment of John Marshall as chief justice shaped American jurisprudence for generations.
In December 2023, House Speaker Mike Johnson appointed four House members to serve on the Adams Memorial Commission, joining those appointed by the president. The commission has been making steady progress ever since, but new legislation must be passed to allow it to continue.
The significance of this memorial extends beyond historical recognition. At a time when America’s political discourse is increasingly coarse, Adams’ legacy reminds us of the principled independence that our democracy needs to survive. His famous maxim — “We cannot insure Success, but We can deserve it,” a line from a letter to his wife, Abigail Adams — points to the virtue present in the noble causes over which we still argue today.
Adams embodies more than that. His defense of British soldiers after the Boston Massacre demonstrated the moral courage needed for the rule of law to function. His opposition to war with France showed the long-term thinking that effective leadership requires.
The Adams Memorial would also recognize the contributions of the family dynasty, which are without equal. Abigail Adams was an early advocate for women’s rights and was her husband’s most trusted political adviser. John Quincy Adams authored the Monroe Doctrine and served with distinction as both president and an anti-slavery congressman who famously defended the Amistad captives before the Supreme Court. Charles Francis Adams helped prevent British intervention in the Civil War, while Henry Adams revolutionized American historical writing.
A memorial would also serve crucial educational purposes for the millions who visit Washington annually. David McCullough’s biography and Mr. Ellis’ works demonstrate how Americans hunger for well-presented, substantive historical content. A thoughtfully designed memorial could help address what McCullough called our “disgracefully historically illiterate” young generation.
The commission’s work represents the best opportunity in decades to finally complete this long-overdue recognition. Congress has already recognized that Adams and his family made civic contributions of “preeminent historical and lasting significance to the United States,” the standard required for locating a commemorative work in the monumental core area of Washington.
The time for half-measures and further delays has passed. The Adams Memorial Commission needs Congress to pass the Adams Memorial-Great American Heroes Act to further its work, ensuring that this generation finally fulfills the promise made to honor America’s first family of ideas.
John Adams famously predicted that “mausoleums, monuments will never be erected to me.” Twenty-four years after Congress first authorized this memorial, it’s time to prove him wrong and give the Adams family its rightful place in our nation’s most sacred civic space.
• Jackie Gingrich Cushman is chairman of the bipartisan, congressionally chartered Adams Memorial Commission. Peter Roff is an experienced journalist and commentator who has long been an admirer of Adams’ contributions to the founding of the American republic.
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