John Adams

So having had occasion to go through my US catalogue, I've started to wonder. Why did it take John Adams all the way til 1938 to get on a stamp? Unless I'm mistaken, wasn't he one of your big ones? Founding Father and all?
Just wondering.

An interesting question for which I would venture to guess there is no definitive answer. Select Presidents were depicted on earlier stamp issues but only in the 1938 Presidential Series did John Adams get his chance. It could be that his prominence was not held as highly as Washington and Jefferson in the early years. In fact, if you go to the Wiki history page on John Adams, you will find this excerpt included (which could have something to do with it):

That is a very good question, John Adams was the father of the revolutionary movement. Without him we could very well have Queen Elizabeth II on our stamps.

Some interesting facts about President John Adams.
In the first two elections that were held in this new country John Adams was runner up to George Washington. After Washington decided not to seek a third term he beat out a long time friend Thomas Jefferson. Because of the intense political rivalry caused by their apposing political views they fell apart and John Adams blamed Thomas Jefferson for his failed presidency. Sometime after the end of Thomas Jefferson's second term as president, they rekindled their friendship and remained close friends until their deaths on the 4th of July 1826.

John Adams was one of the few founding fathers that was not a slave owner. A little background and a few quotes:

By 1760, John Adams believed that it was the moral obligation of the then colonies to provide a just and fair government and that a separation from England was inevitable.

"Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us, at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood. "
(A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law, 1765)

"Let the pulpit resound with the doctrine and sentiments of religious liberty. Let us hear of the dignity of man's nature, and the noble rank he holds among the works of God... Let it be known that British liberties are not the grants of princes and parliaments."
(Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law, 1765)

Although Adams held great contempt for the British rule he also believed that civility, morality and law were the foundation of any society. He believed that the Boston Massacre was an atrocity of epic proportion but when no competent legal counsel was available to represent the British soldiers involved he did and saved their lives.

"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
(Argument in Defense of the Soldiers in the Boston Massacre Trials,' December 1770)

His views of the Revolution before and after

"It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not. "
(letter to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776)

"But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments, of their duties and obligations...This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people was the real American Revolution. "
(letter to H. Niles, February 13, 1818)

And lastly, my personal favorite
"In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress."

John Q. Adams, was on some of the earliest revenues, this one is from 1878.

Great read and even better quotes. Like I said before I live in Canada but only a 10 minute drive from Detroit MI (5 minutes across the water) and am probably as "americanized" as any can be without having pledged alegiance. However the "3+ useless men/women now making up the US Congress has me in shock . Is the political debauchary only to oust Obama at any cost? At 170,000 a year salary and nothing being done I think it is time for the ghost's of Adams, Jefferson, Washington and Lincoln need to rattle some chains or better yet maybe "Ole Hickory" Jackson need to stick a boot in a few asses!

EDIT: My apolgies for political rant.

Nitro, that quote was from Adams late in his life (I believe it was about 1820-25). I think he was venting his frustrations from what he viewed as a major struggle with the Congress during his presidency. He, as did his son John Quincy Adams, pushed for the abolition of slavery which proved to be an idea before its time and resulted in a rough presidency.

Not that it has much to do with the subject, but I was looking up a biography of John Adams and included was this introductory paragraph of a letter George Washington wrote to him after leaving office ... it sounds like Wsahington had a similar experience with the distance to his local post office as some people are complaining about today!

http://books.google.com/books?id=Y7...2C253&edge=0

I see this is an old topic but was just going to post on the same issue today. I recently saw the HBO miniseries http://www.hbo.com/john-adams about John Adams and have become fascinated with this figure that I think was not given proper treatment in my high school history classes.

Yes, it is strange that he never appeared on any early US classics while many other individuals did including many non-presidents.

I couldn't believe it took nearly 100 years of philately for him to get his own stamp in 1938 - https://www.mysticstamp.com/Product...tes/806/USA/

In any event I was looking through my Scott catalog and didn't really see any John Adams stamps that were particularly memorable. Perhaps it is time for the USPS to give him a proper issue?

How interesting to revisit this post after four years. I will point out that Mr Adams did appear on a postal card (UX15) in 1898, but that still seems like a consolation prize.