John Adams: The Grumpy Founding Father

John Adams, also known as the “Sourpuss of the Revolution” was one of the grumpiest Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the second President of the United States and served from 1797 to 1801.

Adams was known for his sarcastic humor and sharp wit. He once said, “I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in Providence for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.” Translation: “America is great, but the world is still full of stupid people.”

Despite his grumpiness, Adams was an important figure in American history, serving as a delegate to the Continental Congress, helping to draft the Declaration of Independence, and playing a key role in negotiating the Treaty of Paris which ended the Revolutionary War.

Adams also had a tumultuous relationship with his fellow Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson. The two had very different political ideologies and frequently clashed. Adams once referred to Jefferson as “a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father.” Ouch!

Despite his curmudgeonly nature, Adams was a loving husband to his wife Abigail and was dedicated to his family. He also had a great sense of humor, although it was often lost on those around him. When asked his opinion on the new invention of the hot air balloon, he quipped, “I know not what to make of a world where men fly.”

John Adams may have been grumpy, but he was also a brilliant Founding Father whose contributions to American history will never be forgotten. Here’s to you, you old sourpuss.