Letter of John Adams written on May 10, 1776. Publication and comment
Keywords:
Adams John, 1735–1826, Adams–Lee Resolution, May 10–15, 1776, Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, USA, 1776, Founding Fathers, USA, Massachusetts Provincial Council, Morton Perez, 1751–1837Abstract
John Adams (1735–1826) was one of the U. S. “Founding Fathers”, the President of the USA, 1797–1801. In the year 1776 he was member of Continental Congress, representing the colony, or province, of Massachusetts, being at the same time member of ruling Provincial Council of Massachusetts. On May 10, 1776, John Adams sent a letter to Perez Morton, Secretary of the Council, in order to let him know that the deputies of legislative body of Massachusetts should not elect Adams to be member of the Council for the next year. This letter, deposited in the West-European Section of the Archive of St. Petersburg Institute of History, is now printed with translation into Russian and also with comment. The historical importance of the letter is defined by the fact that it was written in the very day when Adams, in collaboration with Richard Henry Lee, proposed the “Adams–Lee Resolution”, basic for the process of creating the USA as independent Union of the States. prescribing the formation of governments independent from Great Britain in all colonies, and subsequent transformation colonies/provinces into the States. Ceasing to be member of the Council of Massachusetts, John Adams, one month later, took part, with Thomas Jefferson, in writing the U. S. Declaration of Independence
