In John Quincy Adams' Fourth of July speech in 1821, a key theme was the promotion and defense of human rights and liberty. Adams emphasized the importance of America as a beacon of freedom and a model for other nations. On July 4, 1821, John Quincy Adams delivered the most-remembered speech of his career. The oration’s resounding climax included several famous lines – that America “goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy,” for example, and that an America that aspired to world leadership, even in the name of noble ideas, would be led astray Two years before he formulated the ideas for the Monroe Doctrine, then-Secretary of State John Quincy Adams was asked to give the annual Independence Day address in the United States Capitol. It John Quincy Adams’s Fourth of July 1821 Address ABOUT THE READING John Quincy Adams was Secretary of State from 1817 to1825. During that time he helped expand the borders of the United States. In the speech quoted below, Adams highlights American ideals. He also describes the country’s role in the world. John Quincy Adams Oration – July 4 1837 In his oration, Adams first chronicled what led up to the Declaration of Independence and expounded on the subsequent development of American government, including the Articles of Confederation and then the Constitution. John Quincy Adams used his July 4th speech to reflect on the principles of the Declaration and present it as a moral document for the human rights that are part of divine law aligned with religious and moral principles. Presidential Speeches | John Quincy Adams Presidency July 4, 1821: Speech to the U.S. House of Representatives on Foreign Policy Transcript John Quincy Adams gave a famous speech on the 4th of July 1821 warning about foreign interventions and the threat they posed to liberty. It's more relevant t By Jim Worsham Today—July 2—was supposed to have been the big day of celebrations, with parades, bells, fireworks, festivals and all that kind of stuff—at least that’s how John Adams envisioned it. Title An oration delivered before the inhabitants of the town of Newburyport, at their request, on the sixty-first anniversary of the Declaration of independence, July 4th, 1837. Names Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848. Created / Published Newburyport [Mass.] Printed by Morss and Brewster [1837] Headings - Fourth of July orations Notes - Checklist Amer. imprints, 42681 - LC copy: Front cover has John Quincy Adams’ 1821 Fourth of July address. It provides an eloquent, thought-provoking and moving summary of the Declaration of Independence’s significance, not only for Americans, but An Oration Delivered Before the Inhabitants of the Town of Newburyport, at their request, on the Sixty-First Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1837. By John Quincy Adams. "Say ye not, A Confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say A Confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid." Isaiah On July 4, 1821, then-Secretary of State John Quincy Adams gave the following Independence Day speech. In addition to expressing what is now called American exceptionalism, Adams’ speech epitomizes the moral and political view of the Protestant establishment that dominated the United States until late into the nineteenth century. In this view, the Declaration was made possible by the Reformation. Before getting into the details of Adams’ address, some background about Adams and 1821 (the year he delivered the speech) is necessary. John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams, one of the driving forces behind America’s independence and the nation’s second president. John Quincy Adams (1767–1848) may have had an embattled presidency, but his tenure as the nation’s eighth secretary of state (1817–25) was marked by impressive achievements. John Quincy Adams. Speech to the US House of Representatives on Foreign Policy. July 4th, 1821. A transcription. (00:20) And now, friends and countrymen, if the wise and learned philosophers of the elder world, the first observers of notation and aberration, the discoverers of maddening ether and invisible planets, the inventors of Congreve rockets and Shrapnel shells, should find their hearts at their request, on the Sixty-First Anniversary of theDeclaration of Independence, July 4th, 1837. By John Quincy Adams. “Say ye not, A Confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say A Confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.” Isaiah 8:12. ORATION. Why is it, Friends and Fellow Citizens, that you are here assembled? He is the editor of A Companion to John Adams and John Quincy Adams and, for Library of America, of The Diaries of John Quincy Adams in two volumes. This Library of America series edition is printed on acid-free paper and features Smyth-sewn binding, a full cloth cover, and a ribbon marker. Each July 4th the Declaration of Independence would be read aloud in the capital as part of a July 4th celebration. John Quincy Adam’s July 4th, 1821 speech is memorable. I have long seen quotes of his brief mention of foreign policy. But the rest of the speech is excellent as well.
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