On this day in 1826, two men passed each other on a road in Virginia. Both men carried dire news; the passing of a former president and founding father. One man on his way to the house of Thomas Jefferson to announce the passing of John Adams. One man on his way to the house of John Adams to announce the passing of Thomas Jefferson. 50 years to the day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, two men instrumental in the founding of our nation passed away within hours of each other.
Adams on his deathbed was comforted about the future of the union by the fact that his friend and rival Thomas Jefferson remained to carry the torch. Little did he know that he had outlived Jefferson by mere hours. Years earlier he had predicted that he would outlive Jefferson and now he believed that to be false. In his last words we can see the hope and the fear for the future of our nation.
"Thomas Jefferson still survives."
Enjoy your 4th of July folks and take a minute to read a little bit of what the revolutionary's wrote. A document that they believed to be their death warrant.
Rough Draft
Final Draft
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