John Adams

The HBO miniseries John Adams concluded last week and I was a huge fan of it. It was amazing to see how this unsung hero of our nation's history left his mark on us. I feel much more educated on the man and the times. What did you learn by watching this? Please let me know…
What I learned:
John Adam's defended the British soldiers accused of the Boston Massacre.
Without Abigail, he would have really been nothing but a lawyer from Boston.
The extent to which Alexander Hamilton tried to slander him in public.
The resentment that he had for Jefferson during and after his presidency.
It is that last point that is well worth focusing on. It really drives at the what I believe to be one of the most amazing moments in American History. The fact that both men died on the same day, exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence- July 4, 1826. I had known about this coincidence from reading I had done before. It is a chilling story as it unfolds, both men having outlived their other founding fathers by many years. The interesting bit that I now come to realize is that when Adam's uttered the famous words, 'Jefferson survives' it may have been out of resentment rather than out of affection. I had always come to think that his use of these words indicated that he was pleased that Jefferson, as a founding father was still alive for our fledgling Republic. However, having come to understand the acrimonious years these men had between them, it is more likely the case that Adam's felt outdone, yet again, by Jefferson who in this case was presumed to be living. I am not sure if it is clear who exactly expired first, but even if it was Adam's, Jefferson survived by minutes or hours and nothing more.
In hindsight, the bitterness between them was largely a function of the times that the President and VP were selected by the electoral college as the first and second place winners regardless of party which was later changed.