John Adams Dies on Independence Day's 50th Anniversary
He died on July 4, 1826 — the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. His last words were reportedly 'Thomas Jefferson survives.' He was wrong. Jefferson had died at Monticello hours earlier, the same day. The two men had been enemies, then friends, then enemies, then friends again, reconciling in old age and maintaining a famous correspondence until the end. Adams was 90. He'd served one term as president, lost to Jefferson, and spent 25 years in Quincy, Massachusetts, watching the republic he'd helped build become something he half-recognized.
July 4, 1826
200 years ago
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