July 4, 1824

June 17, 2009

While Jefferson and Adams collaborated to create the document that declared the United States a colony no more, they were often at odds politically following its signing on July 4, 1776. Adams, a Federalist, had frequent disagreements with Jefferson, who would eventually become the leader of the rival party, the Democrat-Republicans. Both men ran for the office of President in 1796, with Adams emerging victorious by a margin of three electoral votes. When Jefferson succeeded in winning the Presidential campaign four years later in 1800, Adams was conspicuously absent from the inauguration.

Over a period of twelve years in their later lives, Adams and Jefferson maintained an extensive correspondence demonstrating a mutual (if sometimes grudging) admiration for each other. However, Adams, who was seven years older than his friend and rival, was known to have claimed, “I will outlive Jefferson!”

On July 4, 1826, Adams’ last words on his deathbed were “Thomas Jefferson survives.” Unbeknown to him, Jefferson had passed away only hours before, after struggling throughout the night of July 3rd to survive to see his country’s fiftieth birthday. His final words upon hearing the celebratory salutes outside his bedroom on the morning of the Fourth: “It is a great and glorious day.”

Suggested reading: The Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams (Lester J. Cappon, ed.)