John Adams, Architect of our American Independence

“Ellis’ performance as President John Adams is a success anyway you look at it.  Accurate, interesting, and informative… he excels in this portrayal.”

Beth Young, Historical Society of Quincy & Adams County

John Adams, Architect of our American Independence

What were the cultural and political events that lead to our Declaration of Independence? 

What are your basic human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of these United States? 

How does our government separate and balance power? 

And who was the leading voice in all of these debates? 

John Adams. Adams recruited Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration, edited his words and then worked tirelessly, ratifying the Declaration of Independence by a consensus of all thirteen colonies. John Adams recruited George Washington to lead the military, the fledgling government, then he negotiated the Paris Peace Accords, so England would recognize us as an independent nation. First Vice-President, Second President, and father of the Sixth President, join one of the foundational founding fathers in a discussion of what rights you hold most dear. Engage in civil debate about how our imperfect nation has endured, and how it might yet ‘be good and do good’. Share your story as an American with John Adams, whose family roots go back to 1632, the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Mayflower.

Like John Adams, storyteller and historian Brian “Fox” Ellis has family roots that go back to the time before there was a United States of America. He also has vine and tendril that include immigrants from the Great Hunger in Ireland, the political upheaval in Eastern Europe, and the Hessein Soldiers hired by King George to fight against the Revolutionaries. Fox has long been a fan of the underdog throughout history, the stories rarely told, the important voices often left out of the history books. As the author of more than 30 books, 100 articles, a dozen musicals, and a few dozen hours of PBS television, he works tirelessly to build a platform for everyone to share their story.

Please note that this program is not like a typical modern Chautauqua performance, it actually harkens back to the original Chautauqua in which the ‘audience’ were seen as ‘participants’ in a scholarly discussion of important ideas. Mixing conversational storytelling with a reverse Q&A in which he asks them questions to discuss with their neighbors. This program is an engaging discussion on what it means to be an American and what we value as a citizen of these United States of America. Lead by a Boston Brahmin, arguable one of the more brilliant lawyers in the thirteen colonies, John Adams will ask difficult questions and expect sharp, clear answers from every participant, as he did when managing the debate over our Declaration of Independence.