Adams and Jefferson: Two Differing Personalities and A Shared Pastime for Gardening

                                         John Adams                    Thomas Jefferson



Chapter two of Wulf’s Founding Gardeners describes Adams’ and Jefferson’s time in Britain while creating and awaiting the signage of a treaty between Great Britain and the United States. The weeks spent in Britain were not wasted, as Adams and Jefferson took full advantage of their time exploring the great, majestic gardens that sprinkled the countryside.

                 

Although England hated the United States and the revolutionaries that were responsible for its independence,—Adams wrote in his diary that the English could barely look him in the eyes—they were keen on the use of American plants and trees to decorate their gardens. This irony is fascinating, because in this same way, Adams and Jefferson were equally enthralled with the beauty of the English gardens. They recognized and praised the use of American plants and trees, but they longed to replicate the natural states of the English gardens in their American gardens back home. This natural state was made to mirror liberty and rejection of tyranny, and by so doing, making political statements through their gardening.

                 

Both Adams and Jefferson could think of no better way to spend their time in England than by touring the elaborate English gardens. This shared pastime is one of the few similarities between the two men. Other than love of republican America and their gardening passions, these men had extremely different personalities. This most likely explains why the two men got along so wonderfully throughout their friendship. While Adams was loud, aggressive, and sometimes abrasive, Jefferson was more reserved, thoughtful, and quiet. Adams once wrote in his diary that he wished he could “hold his tongue” as well as Jefferson did. Adams was plain and simple in dress, mannerisms, and home life. In contrast, Jefferson wore fancy clothes with ruffles, stripes, and all the latest fashions. His plantation in Virginia was much statelier than Adams’ smaller home. Jefferson’s manners resembled those of the rich, while Adams had a plainer, more genuine air about him.

                 

It is often said about Jefferson that his is a walking enigma. This is most interesting since he is most famously known as the writer of the Declaration of Independence and a champion of American ideals. However, Jefferson’s words and lifestyle sometimes contradicted one another. He denounced the ways of the French, saying that American children should never be sent away to be educated there since they would only learn “ills,” but his appearance and dress resembled that of a Frenchman. He embodied American ideals of farming, agriculture, and simple life, but his grandiose Virginian plantation communicated otherwise. He believed in freedom and liberty while owning over 200 slaves. These apparent contradictions make Jefferson’s persona both confusing and enlightening.

                 

America was formed from the blending of cultures. Americans were naturally influenced by the ways of Britain as a result of their close ties with the country. At the same time, Americans were proud of their unique culture—a blending of traditions that made the American way of life so different from the one they left behind in Britain. This natural British influence mixed with pride for their American culture is embodied in Jefferson, and so this “walking enigma” of sorts is really not so confusing after all. Aren’t we all a blend of what we once were and what we hope to be? Preserving our experiences from the past and blending it with our aspirations and work towards a better future is what makes all Americans exceptional, and this fact is definitely one to be praised.