Page 49 - JM Book 9/2020

Monday, June 24, 1776
John Adams was expecting Thomas Jefferson when he heard the knock on the door of the room he rented at Mrs. Yard’s Boarding House. His cousin Sam occupied the room next door.
Jefferson had asked John earlier in the day if he would be available that evening to read his draft of the declaration of independence.
Even though they were not close friends at this time, each man respected and admired the other. They came from different backgrounds, and except for both being lawyers, they had very little in common. However, they shared a deep passion for American independence.
“John, I appreciate you taking time to see me,” Jefferson said as he shook Adams’ hand. “I wanted you to be the first committee member to read the draft. I have completed it to my satisfaction.”
After a few minutes of conversation, Jefferson handed the document to Adams, who moved his chair closer to the window to get more light.
Adams lived on a small farm in Braintree, Massachusetts, with his wife Abigail and their four children. He was born in 1735 to a modest Puritan family. After graduating from Harvard University, he taught school for a few years before deciding to become a lawyer. He was admitted to the bar in 1758 after studying law in the office of James Putman.
His most famous case was when he defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre. This was the incident on March 5, 1770, when a small detachment of British soldiers fired on a group of Boston citizens, who were protesting the presence of British troops in their city and the passage of the Stamp Act that taxed all legal and printed documents. Five Boston citizens were killed and eleven wounded. Adams won acquittal for six of the eight British soldiers. The other two were convicted of manslaughter.
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