David McCullough on John Adams 1735-1826 - The John Adams Institute

On September 21, 2004, The John Adams Institute hosted an evening with David McCullough. To celebrate the 2004-2005 lecture season, the John Adams Institute paid tribute to the American patriot, John Adams, who provided both the original inspiration and namesake to the institute. 2005 marks the 225th anniversary of his arrival in Amsterdam and for the inaugural lecture we welcomed his biographer, David McCullough.
Credited by The New York Review of Books as ‘by far the best biography of Adams ever written,’ John Adams is as engaging a read as it is historically enlightening. In McCullough’s acute portrayal, not only Adams, but Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, and Washington emerge as fully-formed.
David McCullough is one of the foremost biographers in America. John Adams was a national bestseller and TIME magazine’s best nonfiction book of the year in the year of its publication, 2001.
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[@karenokeane6461]

Completely and utterly fascinating. Worth a second viewing. His speeches and interviews should be played in all American schools.

[@kenj.8897]

Not likely but needed. Karl Marx is the new hero in America. Sad

[@marcusmaddox2176]

​@@kenj.8897Well said.

[@sherrylhendrickson6861]

I have listened to many of David's talks on Adams. This one is lovely to look at and listen to.

[@aa697]

RIP David you are and will be sorely missed.

[@davidevans3227]

oh no.. sorry to hear that thanks for saying..

[@softshoes]

The man was born to lecture and teach. As said below a National Treasure.

[@IrishTexan09]

Thank you for bringing John Adams to life. Abigail and John Adams are truly the” first couple” of America!

[@ronhaworth5471]

How fortunate we have this person to enlighten citizens of the history of our Country..

[@noblefilmhouse]

This Mccullough guy is a national treasure

[@jonathansparks7558]

The bitch about it is is that I’m not seeing a new generation of history studies not waiting in the wings to take his and the late Shelby Foote’s place

[@mohdnasir5140]

At the age of 29 Adams married Abigail Smith, a woman who was clearly his intellectual and psychological equal.

[@leftyshawenuph4026]

@@jonathansparks7558 You named two people. You probably had never heard of them until they were drawing Social Security. There are plenty more than two that will eventually become famous enough for you to hear of them. Until then, a very many are doing the job. Ken Burns isn't good or famous enough for you?

[@kylekullin2520]

What about Tom Petty?

[@leftyshawenuph4026]

@@kylekullin2520 Okay, not everyone is crazy about Tom. But to call him Petty is a little extreme, I think.

[@davidevans3227]

greetings from south wales, uk.. 🙂 came across this speaker accidentally, got confused with an english historian.. so glad i did thankyou for sharing this.. so interesting

[@irisuhlar4468]

What amazing way to learn history. David McCullough is the best!

[@tiamatxvxianash9202]

How honored the Dutch people and Academia must have felt by the presence of David McCullough at this 225 year anniversary of John Adams stay. I enjoyed very much hearing Mr. McCullough emphasizing the supreme intellectual acumen of John Quincy Adams. A young man who learned much during his early Dutch days with his future presidential father. Along with this book's chapters dealing with John Adams efforts at gaining Dutch recognition, I consider Barbara Tuchman's book "The First Salute" another essential read on the subject of Hollands support to America, during those critical first years of the American Revolution.

[@jtfairchild3838]

The Adams children and grandchildren are great model and example of what offspring should become and shouldn't become ....a few generations of them shows good virtue with a few and sadly a few others who died prematurely due to vice that the elders could not control ... Knowledge and wisdom are a great safeguard but are at its best when they are used to the maximum capacity. ... Walk CIRCUMSPECTLY ...

[@Smudgeroon74]

@@jtfairchild3838 Vice includes alcohol, drugs and homosexual activities.

[@jtfairchild3838]

It seems that you eat , sleep and breathe Adams and it is much appreciated by us ...

[@valerieyoung7845]

An old friend who I will miss very much!

[@Psychoticgoldfish]

My right ear really enjoyed this lecture. 🎉

[@PlaneCDR]

Phenomenal presentation. Thanks for posting!

[@susanschaffner4422]

So moving.

[@shirleymuhleisen683]

Incredible speaker. Relaying Adams’ portrayal of the sparking beauty of his wintry trees brought a lump to my throat

[@star85827]

I just learned threw my grandfather recently, that I am a direct descendant of john adams and his son John Quincy, he would of been my sixth uncle or something like that lol the Adams traits hold true for sure, very honest, constantly seeking knowledge and learning, plain blunt speech that people describe as tactless they just like soft things and lies lol Roosevelt is also a cousin....and i find it a total blessing to be able to learn about my family lineage and im grateful for Mr McCullah, thank you sir

[@skate103]

You may want to focus on your grammar and spelling...

[@star85827]

@@skate103 and you may want to focus on not getting you’re rear end handed to you, punk.

[@Camop-iz9kt]

Now why was my high school history class never this good?

[@douglasweber2401]

Most likely because your teachers had taken predominantly lightweight Education courses in college rather than deeper training in history. Most American High School teachers get a Master's but then too, in Education because said courses are easy. One can hardly bring real interest to classrooms if one lacks depth of subject matter knowledge.

[@kenj.8897]

Because the left run education.

[@BobDingus-bh3pd]

They love to teach but not what they teach. That’s the problem.

[@jimlaguardia8185]

The Founding Fathers were the greatest assemblage of Humankind in Human History. McCollough is a worthy bard of that fraternity.

[@nathanlaframboise8074]

My right ear enjoyed this lecture.

[@johnchambers2996]

David McCullough the premier American historian died on August 7th and all we get with the media is Olivia Newton-John and Anne Heche. No wonder this wonderful country is so screwed-up.

[@kenj.8897]

God help this county now , we are screwed

[@jtfairchild3838]

Yes ...our country is screwed up , also ... Because we HAVE ALL TURNED TO OUR OWN WAY .....AND WICKEDNESS IS IN HIGH PLACES...

[@jtfairchild3838]

Proverbs 28:1 , 2

[@BobDingus-bh3pd]

It’s not so bad. Reason like that of the founding fathers will always prevail in the long run. Stupid can only sustain itself for so long.

[@tatuloa]

David McCullough is a immortal soul ... He journeyed into the past and brought it into the present , for all to understand and love his country ..

[@JamesHahnII]

Talk starts at 11:06

[@BlueBaron3339]

Thank you!

[@donnaciaccia8364]

I would love to hear Mr. McCulloughs thoughts on what's happening to this country today

[@wabdatl]

A monumental mind.

[@brigittemcdonough2385]

Love!🥰

[@Mattbyrdcomic]

Could you please put the audio in both channels? Thank you so much.

[@zeph9689]

yo, where is Ms mccarrells class at?

[@zeph9689]

Bruh same

[@adamneulander]

Right here

[@adamneulander]

@@suduwudu gl 2 u

[@dachikindude5127]

Me

[@bluesparks1042]

oh god...

[@jtfairchild3838]

Without a doubt .... Ignorance is the greatest foe of humanity ....It has caused more needless disturbance that cannot be governed or controlled . It is a language that the learned and intelligent cannot communicate with ..... Yes it is the most of an unnecessary evil that cannot seemed to be tamed very much like a wild beast ....

[@kellyngrey4950]

Man, video was fuzzy back then and it was only 20 years ago.

[@dmoney668]

He's an amazing orator writer narrator. He actually takes my mind off nonsense social media and people like Donald Trump and refocuses it on history

[@fking6543]

11:00

[@marknan5352]

Read his book on harry truman. First rate. Need to buy his book on john adams.

[@Smudgeroon74]

Hello may I ask your opinion about Harry Truman regarding what's written in the book. Is there any indication that Harry S Truman had a bad temperament problem in social circles?

[@aguy559]

Personally, I don’t feel like the introduction was long enough.

[@rockycomet4587]

All introductions should be 15 minutes, minimum.

[@aguy559]

@@rockycomet4587 I was being sarcastic.

[@rockycomet4587]

@@aguy559 But I wasn't.

[@aguy559]

@@rockycomet4587 I get that. The more you say, the less you communicate.

[@rockycomet4587]

@@aguy559 Communication is only half of the game.

[@mohdnasir5140]

1801 - 1797 4

[@22julip]

I enjoyed the HBO series John Adams . My only problem was the three or four gratuitous references to slavery . There are of course historical references, but these seemed to be put in for effect or political correctness. John Adams did not own slaves . And the federalist papers make it clear that slavery was wrong , but that it would take some time for that to happen. And admittedly they had to have disgust it. But Abagail taking to Washington and asking if it could be because of the sins of slavery. I don’t think that conversation would have been historical. My point is that references to slavery for effect does no any good . Again slavery was around since man first walked the earth. IMHO . Otherwise great show.

[@TheIrishAmish]

You are incorrect. John and Abigail were anti-slavery, and slavery was well covered in the series.

[@22julip]

@@TheIrishAmish I never said they were pro slavery, they were both very much anti slavery. My point was that the liberals who made the series embellished on the slave issue in the series, they both knew that slavery was a evil but that evil was not started by the colony’s but was a evil that had been around as long as humans have walked the earth , in the 1700 s there were still a lot of free blacks as well , that’s all I meant that the writers tried to stick slavery into the story , like saying it started in America , which they knew as well as we do .thats not the truth . By the way did you know before the civil war not one republican owned a slave . It was the democrats that were pro slavery before and after and not just southern dems but northern dems as well . After Lincoln was assonated his dem vice president started repealing his plans , like 40 acres and a mule . There’s plenty of blame to go around .

[@robertalpy9422]

Not true. Polk is revered by Americans who are fierce patriots and whole believers in our manifest destiny. Polk achieved more in one term than any other President that came after in Two accept for Lincoln. Polk achieved the seizure of the flower of Mexican lands for The United States. He finally achieved the dream of the founders, that the nation be unbounded and uninterrupted from sea to sea. Not only did he achieve so much in one term but he stated before doing so that that was his goal and resigned after one term just as he promised. No man had so few ambitions for himself and such great ambitions for his country than Polk.

[@declandonahue592]

How can you say this after Eisenhower gave you air land and sea superiority…. Lol

[@annaolivarez2578]

The “flower of Mexican lands” is my Heritage, and God willing (!!) I will always remember that I still live on what is Ancient Mexico. Go back? No, I never left, never will. My other Ancestors, the Europeans were here long before the Mayflower landed.

[@robertalpy9422]

@@annaolivarez2578 Good for you. If you are a citizen of The United States you may travel freely anywhere in our Republic as we share between fellow citizens. If you are not a citizen and you hide here illegally you will hunted down, imprisoned for felony illegal entry and expelled for the same. It sounds by the way you speak you are a citizen though so there's no quarrel. We have many Hispanic citizens. All equal Americans under The Constitution.

[@robertalpy9422]

@@annaolivarez2578 as we're mine. My Dutch Ancestors settled the Huson a century before the English came.

[@adamneulander]

who else here from history class

[@adamneulander]

@Isabella Daza I did it at 2x, the guy talks hella slow

[@brandynamite3022]

I am from history class -Brandon

[@Smudgeroon74]

Thomas Paine drafted the US Constitution in 1776. It wasn't Thomas Jefferson actually.

[@Einstein1414]

No.. the Constitution was formulated later...and no one spoke of Jefferson in this regard. What are you talking about? Do you even know?

[@Smudgeroon74]

@@Einstein1414 oops I got the year wrong. It wasn't 1776 as you say, but later(1780's) Look up Thomas Paine though...

[@Smudgeroon74]

@@Einstein1414 themillenniumreport.com/2017/07/its-true-thomas-paine-really-did-write-the-declaration-of-independence/

[@22julip]

Mrs Adams’s couldn’t have been as enlightened as you say if she was that naïve to think that slavery was an American creation an American institution. For her not to know that we inherited slavery and that slavery existed since mankind walked the earth . All people have been enslaved at one time or another .

[@raj_kumar0]

Doesn't make it right though

[@22julip]

@@raj_kumar0 I never said it was right . But for mrs Adams to try to blame the American revolutions difficulties on something that’s been around as long as man as been on this earth . I’m not making excuses. But it’s time to move on .

[@MalEvansUSA]

He is dead

[@TheDamwilli]

Hmm, Trump haters

[@kylekullin2520]

I like President Trump!

[@BobDingus-bh3pd]

This talk was way before Trump. They’re probably referring to George W Bush.