Heir to the Fathers: John Quincy Adams and the Spirit of Constitutional GovernmentLexington Books, 2004 - 249 pages In Heir to the Fathers, author Gary V. Wood examines the ideas that guided John Quincy Adams throughout his political career. For Wood, it is Adams' understanding of The Constitution of the United States that foregrounds a crucial link between the principles laid-forth in The Declaration of Independence and the original intent of the Framers of The Constitution. Heir to the Fathers traces this link through an examination of Adams' celebrated essay, Jubilee of the Constitution and, most significantly, through his defense of a group of Africans who mutinied aboard the slave ship Amistad. The contradictory relationship between what is stated The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution and the treatment of African slaves has been a persistent problem in any attempt to understand the legacy of freedom in the United States. Adams' argument before the Supreme Court, based on his interpretation of constitutional law, is an example of how this unique political mind comes to terms with this contradiction without abandoning the spirit of America's founding principles. Wood's discussion of Adams' political and intellectual life invites readers to reexamination the principles upon which the United States of America was founded. Heir to the Fathers is a salient addition to the study of constitutional law and history and American political thought. |
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abolitionists Adams believed Aeneas American Foreign Policy American Founding Amistad ancient argued argument battle Bemis blacks Bork Britain British Calhoun Christian ciples citizens civil claim Congress Constitution contended Cuba Cuban decision Declaration of Independence defend democracy democratic discourse divine doctrine equal eternal Federalist Foundations of American Founders gag rule Henry Holy Alliance honor House human Ibid Israel Jacksonian democracy Jaffa James Henry Hammond John Quincy Adams Jubilee laws of nature Leo Strauss liberty Lincoln Lipsky living constitution Memoirs ment modern Mutiny nation natural law natural rights nature and nature's never noted original intent petition ples political positive law president princi pro-slavery Publicola regime Republic republican Revolution right to revolution Robert Bork Roman Rome self-evident truths Senate slave trade slavery South Southern Spanish spirit stitution Supreme Court Thomas Jefferson tion treaty understanding Union United University Press Virgil virtue William Writings wrote York