Fellow patriots, both signers of the Declaration, they started out friends, after John Adams made an impassioned speech supporting Thomas Jefferson's Declaration in 1776.
Later, politics drove a wedge between them. Adams was the vice president un George Washington and Jefferson was Secretary of State. Adams was so frustrated by vice president Jefferson, declared, "At least I will outlive Jefferson."Adams was seven years younger. So upset at losing the presidency to Jefferson after a hotly contested campaign, in 1801, Adams, the incumbent, refused to attend Jefferson's inauguration, and spent the day riding around Washington in a horse drawn carriage.
After Jefferson left office in 1809, Adams reached out to his former adversary and began writing letters to Jefferson. Jefferson responded, and they became fast friends once again.
On his deathbed, Adams' last words were, "Thomas Jefferson survives!"
Unfortunately, he was mistaken, Jefferson had actually died a few hours before, making Adams' earlier prophecy come true. It is said that messengers announcing the deaths of the friends, dispatched from Boston and Monticello, passed each other on the road.
The second and third Presidents of this country had died on the same day, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration, just hours apart.
Have a safe and happy Fourth of July.
May God bless the United States!
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