The Meaning of Independence: John Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson [Hardcover]

Edmund S. Morgan (Author)

Book Description

Series: Richard Lectures | Publication Date: December 8, 1976

Americans did not at first cherish the idea of political severance from their mother country. In just a few years, however, they came to desire indepen-dence above all else. What brought about this change of feeling and how did it affect the lives of their citizens? To answer these questions, Edmund S. Morgan looks at three men who may fairly be called the "architects of independence," the first presidents of the United States. Anecdotes from their letters and diaries recapture the sense of close identity many early Americans felt with their country's political struggles. Through this perspective, Morgan examines the growth of independence from its initial declaration and discovers something of its meaning, for three men who responded to its challenge and for the nation that they helped create.

The Meaning of Independence, first published in 1976, has become one of the standard short works on the first three presidents of the United States -- George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. When the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and the Organization of American Historians asked 1,500 historians to name the ten best books about George Washington, this book was one of those selected. In this updated edition, the author provides a new preface to address a few remaining concerns he has pondered in the quarter century since first publication.

Tag:A classic work on the founding by the author of the bestselling Benjamin Franklin

Editorial Reviews

Review

With the wit, grace, and sense of irony we have come to expect from him, Morgan seeks to discover 'the meaning of independence' for the Revolutionary generation and indeed, for our own.... Morgan is not only a brilliant historian but a superb storyteller as well.

(Choice )

 There's simply no better way of comprehending Washington and Adams than reading this book....Morgan is a supremely artful historian. Masking his commanding authority (in this and his other books) is a puckish ease and an utterly smooth prose style that manages to be at once conversational and incisive.

(Atlantic )

About the Author

Edmund S. Morgan is Professor Emeritus at Yale University, a recipient of the 2000 National Humanities Medal, and past president of the Organization of American Historians. Among his many distinguished books are The Birth of the Republic, 1763--89, The Challenge of the American Revolution, and American Slavery, American Freedom. His most recent book, Benjamin Franklin, has been a national best-seller.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: University of Virginia Press; Updated edition (December 8, 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813906946
• ISBN-13: 978-0813906942
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,453,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars short AND interesting, February 9, 2005

By 

Yalensian - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Meaning of Independence: John Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson (Hardcover)

Easily read in an hour or two, this concise book is a nice little study of independence; what it meant to John Adams, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson; and, through them, what it means to us. These three essays are not strictly biographical; Morgan does not sketch out the nitty-gritty of these Founders' lives. Rather, he takes a thematic, character-based approach to the individuals, using events to exemplify their traits, and uses them to flesh out the different takes on independence.

Of the three, Morgan views Adams most negatively, sometimes portraying him as a man of mediocre talents. Readers of McCullough's biography might disagree, but Morgan does acknowledge that Adams was a "great American" (in that he placed his country above all other considerations), who bucked party and popular opinion and refused to go to war with France. For the aloof Washington, independence was shaped by honor and interest (usually the economic variety); he aimed to give the young country self-sufficience and status on the world stage. Both Adams and Washington, Morgan credibly suggests, might have lived obscure lives had crisis not forced them to rise above the mundane. Not so with Jefferson, clearly Morgan's favorite. Here, Morgan focuses on Jefferson's idea of a continuing revolution: that is, each generation most free itself from its predecessors. Jefferson's independence meant freedom from the past.

The book is an interesting, sometimes insightful look at independence and these three men. It's not groundbreaking work, but it's good work--and surely worth a couple of hours.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating for both serious and casual readers, October 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Meaning of Independence: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington (Norton Library) (Paperback)

I first encountered Morgan's wonderful book in a college history class (thanks, Dr. Bourdon!), but this is no dry academic tome (personally, I think that there is no reason an academic book has to be dry, anyway). The book's three essays--one each on the named presidents and their points of view on the struggle that produced this nation--are both insightful and pleasurable reading. For the casual reader, there is Morgan's gift for anecdote. His description of the personality conflict between Adams and Benjamin Franklin is hilarious, as is Adams' timeless description of the tedium of legislatures (some things really do never change!). That said, there is also serious analysis of these three men, and what each contributed, thought, and said, written with a critcal but respectful tone. It's hard to say which essay is the best, but those who despise Thomas Jefferson for hypocrisy should certainly read his section, and learn about his genuine, if tempered, idealism--a trait we could use more of in the 1990's. This is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to broaden and deepen his or her knowledge of the origins of this country.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, November 6, 1999

By 

eunomius (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Meaning of Independence: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington (Norton Library) (Paperback)

This is a truly fascinating and engaging work. The meaning of indepence from Great Britain is much more profound that one would think on first thought. With this idea in mind, Morgan penetrates to the fundamental ideas and characters of each three men. For both Washington and Adams, I must say that he is right on target. His account of Jefferson is also good, although I cannot help but wonder why Morgan spends some much time and space castigating the man for what he views to be his short-comings. Regardless of the actual merit of his criticisms, he clearly strays rather far from the subject of the work. Nevertheless, the piece as a whole is gem.