Category: Revolutionary History

August 20, 2024

John Adams’ Role In Framing The Massachusetts Constitution: An Arduous Yet Fascinating Process

This article was written by William Cunniff Jr., an archival intern with Quincy Historical Society during the summer of 2024. He is a recent graduate of Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree. During his tenure with the Historical Society, he decided that he wanted to contribute an article for the blog. He decided to focus on John Adams’ contributions to the Massachusetts State Constitution.

History Posts Revolutionary History The Adamses

July 5, 2024

A Tale of Two Busts: The Later Friendship of John Adams & Thomas Jefferson

“Thomas Jefferson always reminded me of my great-grandmother.

When I was younger, she had a house overflowing with dolls. Jefferson was also a collector of faces, though they were more of the sculptural variety, and his motive for such an assortment of figures differed greatly from hers.

It was with a few starting busts that Jefferson began a collection that would span his entire lifetime, fueled by pride, comradery, and even animosity. This assortment would come to be known as Jefferson’s “gallery of worthies.” There is one bust amongst these figures that covers the full range of motivations; a portrayal of John Adams whose history and involvement in Jefferson’s home and life lives on, recorded in everlasting marble.”

History Posts Revolutionary History

November 30, 2020

The Boston Massacre Trials at 250: Two Men from Quincy Galvanize an American Debate

In 2020 we marked the 250th anniversary of the Boston Massacre and its Trials. These events are some of the most complex in the history of the Revolution, especially in terms of how it is remembered today. The debate surrounding these events began in the moments after the shots were fired, but how it is viewed today was heavily guided by the contributions of two young lawyers hailing from the area now known as Quincy: John Adams and Josiah Quincy Jr.