John Adams - Reunion (Open Spoilers)

[Simplicio]

@Diogenes the Cynic

That was John Adams. He lobbied for the POTUS to be called “His Highness,” or “His Majesty,” but Washington refused to accept anything but “Mr. President.” Adams was ridiculed for his efforts by the rest of Congress and acquired the nickname "His Rotundity"as a result.

I’m fairly certain that Washington supported the idea of a more “grandiose” title as well (indeed, I think I read it in the book the Adams series is based on, I’ll try and check tomorrow when if I can find it). Googling “His High Mightiness” reveals this in Google Books

During the Constitutional Convention, Washington had expressed preference for a similar title: “His High Mightiness, the President of the USA and Protector of their Liberties”

It goes on to say that it wasn’t Washington that changed the title to the much simpler “President”, rather it was the House under the leadership of Madison. Given Washington’s love of surrounding his office with “pomp and ceremony”, this is’nt really suprising.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

@Simplicio

I’m fairly certain that Washington supported the idea of a more “grandiose” title as well (indeed, I think I read it in the book the Adams series is based on, I’ll try and check tomorrow when if I can find it). Googling “His High Mightiness” reveals this in Google Books

It goes on to say that it wasn’t Washington that changed the title to the much simpler “President”, rather it was the House under the leadership of Madison. Given Washington’s love of surrounding his office with “pomp and ceremony”, this is’nt really suprising.

That may be, but in the episode last night, Washington tells Adams he just wants to be called Mr. President and nothing else.

[smokey78]

I resurrected the thread because after all these years I finally got to check it out, randomly during this 4th of July. I loved the DVD version since it features the pop-up factoids to review the history of Adams’ time.

I’m only to part III with reunion. Some thoughts: the scene where Jefferson presented the Declaration to Franklin and Adams, it seems so casual? Like he just wrote it overnight and So not sure if that was how it played out. And that Adams spent that much time over in Europe?

As a really blow my mind moment, I thought the actor who played Jefferson was hot and charismatic and so I looked up the cast. It didn’t hit me that was Stannis from Game of Thrones. As another aside am watching his son Frank on Fear the Walking Dead, and there is a resemblance !