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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC03864 |
| From Archive Folder | Documents Relating to 1775 |
| Title | John Adams to Richard Henry Lee outlining how he believed an independent American government should be organized |
| Date | 15 November 1775 |
| Author | Adams, John (1735-1826) |
| Recipient | Lee, Richard Henry |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Adams outlines the government that he envisions for America, that it should have executive, legislative and judicial branches, similar to the colonial government of Massachusetts. He also argues for a bicameral legislature and insists that judges not have overlapping offices in the other branches. Adams draws to an end with comments about human nature and tyranny. He concludes "if such a Trifle will be of any service to you or any gratification of Curiousity, here you have it...." On the evening of 14 November 1775, Lee, a delegate to the Continental Congress from Virginia, visited Adams at his Philadelphia residence. In the wake of Lexington and Concord, the two men discussed which form of government might be easily adopted by the colonies. Lee requested that Adams write down his plan and then circulated both manuscript and printed copies of the letter to convince colonists that independence would not be as difficult as they feared. |
| Subjects | President Revolutionary War Government and Civics Judiciary Freedom and Independence Congress |
| People | Adams, John (1735-1826) Lee, Richard Henry (1732-1794) |
| Place written | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Theme | Government & Politics; Creating a New Government; The American Revolution; The Presidency; Law |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | By the end of 1775, compromise between Britain and its colonies was becoming a less viable option. Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794), a delegate to the Second Continental Congress from Virginia, asked John Adams to help him convince his home state of the need for independence. In response, Adams proposed a plan for a new state government with three branches. This letter offers one example of the way that patriots experimented with new systems of government based on reason and their analysis of human nature as being inevitably inclined toward corruption and the abuse of power unless checked and balanced by competing power. After his return to Congress and with the Massachusetts delegation's agreement, Lee proposed a congressional resolution for independence. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |
| Transcript | Show/hide |