Lesson 9: The Vice Presidency
Getting Started
In this lesson, you'll learn about a momentous event in the lives of the Adams family — John Adams's election as vice president. You'll also have the chance to read the correspondence between Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson and think about the influence that these two people may have had in each other's lives.
Stuff You Need
- Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution by Natalie S. Bober
Ideas to Think About
- How do the lives of individuals interact with, influence, and become transformed by the events of the time and place in which they live?
- How does an author's choice of genre influence his or her decisions and the resulting literary work?
Things to Know
- John Adams was the first vice president of the United States of America.
Skills
- Understand the idea of genre in literature, including adventure stories, historical fiction, mysteries, myths, science fiction, realistic fiction, allegories, parodies, satire, and graphic novels. (LA)
Introducing the Lesson
In this lesson, your child will continue working with the idea of genre. He'll also have the chance to read the correspondence between Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson firsthand and think about the influence that these two people may have had in each other's lives.
Materials: Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution by Natalie S. Bober
Read Chapters 17 and 18 Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution by Natalie S. Bober and then answer the following questions.
Questions
- How did George III greet Thomas Jefferson?He literally turned his back on him.
- What influence did Abigail Adams and her sisters have on one another?They corresponded regularly and shared advice on parenting, marriage, and more — they were a critical support system to one another.
- Why did John Adams think he might not be elected vice president?He feared that he had been forgotten while in Europe and that perhaps he was too honest and outspoken to be a popular politician.
- What did Benjamin Franklin mean when he said the vice president should be called "His Superfluous Excellency"?Franklin alluded to the fact that the vice presidency carried little actual power — he was able to cast a vote in the Senate only in case of a tie, and custom dictated that he stay out of the debates.