John Adams (miniseries) Quotes
John Adams: I shall esteem myself the happiest of men if I can be instrumental in restoring the confidence and affection - or in better words, the good old nature and the good old humour, between peoples who, though separated by an ocean and under different governments, have the same language, the same religion, and kindred blood.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Directed by Tom Hooper. Written by Kirk Ellis, based on the book by David McCullough.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Abigail Adams: [to John] You do not need to quote great men to show you are one.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
John Adams: (on the clubs used for beating out rope) Could they not also be used for beating out men's brains?!
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Edward Rutledge: South Carolina, on behalf of its sister colonies ...
John Adams: STATES!
John Adams: STATES!
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
John Hancock: [reluctantly] God save the King.
Samuel Adams: God damn the King!
Benjamin Franklin: [happily] God bless the King. Who else could've brought such a spirit of unity to the Congress?
Samuel Adams: God damn the King!
Benjamin Franklin: [happily] God bless the King. Who else could've brought such a spirit of unity to the Congress?
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Abigail "Nabby": Why do boys have all the pleasure?
Abigail Adams: Because we let them.
Abigail Adams: Because we let them.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Abigail "Nabby": When they get back, we shall be very strict with them.
Abagail Adams: When they get back, we shall be far too lenient with them
Abagail Adams: When they get back, we shall be far too lenient with them
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Benjamin Franklin: All of Paris is a school, master Adams. A young man need only to avail himself of the lessons.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
John Adams: Our independence cannot be achieved if we are to be nothing more than a pawn in France’s never-ending game with our common enemy.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Benjamin Franklin: Have you learned nothing, Mr. Adams? If you continue to exasperate and antagonize these people--
John Adams: As I did in Philadelphia and we declared independence, you recall.
Benjamin Franklin: In Philadelphia we negotiated independence.
John Adams: Well, you may be as patient and accommodating as you like, doctor, but for myself, I will not voluntarily put on the chains of France while I am struggling to throw off those of Great Britain!
John Adams: As I did in Philadelphia and we declared independence, you recall.
Benjamin Franklin: In Philadelphia we negotiated independence.
John Adams: Well, you may be as patient and accommodating as you like, doctor, but for myself, I will not voluntarily put on the chains of France while I am struggling to throw off those of Great Britain!
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
John Adams: You know, it is universally believed that dr. Franklin has accomplished our revolution entirely by himself with a simple wave of his electric wand. Whatever merits he may have as a philosopher, as a legislator he has done very little, sir. Very little indeed.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
John Adams: If ever there was a natural alliance, surely it is between the republics of the Netherlands and the United States. The Dutch first gave asylum to the pilgrims. New York and New Jersey were first settled by your countrymen.
Dutch Banker: May I remind you, that the Netherlands were a republic long before America was even an idea?
John Adams: Indeed. Indeed, sir. If I may, America and Holland are so close, in history, in religion, in government, that every Dutchman instructed in the subject must pronounce the American Revolution just and necessary, or pass censure on the greatest actions of his immortal ancestors.
Dutch Banker: May I remind you, that the Netherlands were a republic long before America was even an idea?
John Adams: Indeed. Indeed, sir. If I may, America and Holland are so close, in history, in religion, in government, that every Dutchman instructed in the subject must pronounce the American Revolution just and necessary, or pass censure on the greatest actions of his immortal ancestors.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Dutch Banker: There are rumours, that America will settle for a negotiated peace.
John Adams: No, sir. No. No, the only acceptable outcome is complete and irrevocable independence.
John Adams: No, sir. No. No, the only acceptable outcome is complete and irrevocable independence.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
John Adams: The charge of vanity is the last refuge of little wits and of mercenary quacks! I have long learned, that a man may give offense, and he may still succeed!
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Abigail “Nabby”: Is the war over?
Abigail Adams: Not while there is a single British soldier remaining in America. But they cannot hold on for long. Not after this. God be praised, and General Washington.
Abigail Adams: Not while there is a single British soldier remaining in America. But they cannot hold on for long. Not after this. God be praised, and General Washington.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Abigail Adams: Well, I have been in France for such a short time. It would be unfair to pass sentence or form judgement.
Thomas Jefferson: Which implies that you've already done both.
Abigail Adams: Well, if I had, Mr. Jefferson, I would only offer them after my further experience had shown my wisdom, or the error of my ways.
Thomas Jefferson: An admirable caution.
John Adams: Yes, and highly uncharacteristic, I assure you.
Thomas Jefferson: Which implies that you've already done both.
Abigail Adams: Well, if I had, Mr. Jefferson, I would only offer them after my further experience had shown my wisdom, or the error of my ways.
Thomas Jefferson: An admirable caution.
John Adams: Yes, and highly uncharacteristic, I assure you.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Abigail Adams: Paris is unique.
Thomas Jefferson: Yes, and best enjoyed in the company of women.
Abigail Adams: Women would add interest to many things, Mr. Jefferson, if men would allow it.
Thomas Jefferson: Well, that has been my experience, Ms. Adams.
Thomas Jefferson: Yes, and best enjoyed in the company of women.
Abigail Adams: Women would add interest to many things, Mr. Jefferson, if men would allow it.
Thomas Jefferson: Well, that has been my experience, Ms. Adams.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Thomas Jefferson: I've resolved to renounce embarrassment in favor of enjoyment
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Benjamin Franklin: The English love an insult. It's their only test of a man's sincerity.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Thomas Jefferson: I expect that any constitutional document that emerges from Philadelphia will be as compromised as our Declaration of Independency. I am increasingly persuaded that the Earth belongs exclusively to the living, and that one generation has no more right to bind another to its laws and judgements, than one independent nation has the right to command another.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Benjamin Franklin: It is no small thing to build a new world, gentlemen. We have our republic. We must endeavour to keep it, if we can.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
George III: There is an opinion among some people, Mr. Adams, that you are not the most attached of all your countrymen to the manners of France.
John Adams: Yes, well, I avow to your majesty that I have no attachment to any country but my own.
George III: An honest man will never have any other.
John Adams: Yes, well, I avow to your majesty that I have no attachment to any country but my own.
George III: An honest man will never have any other.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
John Adams: Abigail. Here's a fine culmination to all my years of service - fewer than half the votes of the electoral college. General Washington is unanimously acclaimed President with 69 votes, whereas I apparently am scorned by all but 34 of the electors.
Abigail Adams: John, there are two, four, six, eight, ten other names here. You have more votes than all of them put together. And John Jay comes in third with nine.
John Adams: Nonetheless, I consider - I consider such a showing a stain upon my character.
Abigail Adams: John!
John Adams: I will not and I cannot accept it.
Abigail Adams: John... You are vice president now.
Abigail Adams: John, there are two, four, six, eight, ten other names here. You have more votes than all of them put together. And John Jay comes in third with nine.
John Adams: Nonetheless, I consider - I consider such a showing a stain upon my character.
Abigail Adams: John!
John Adams: I will not and I cannot accept it.
Abigail Adams: John... You are vice president now.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
John Adams: I have seen what the future holds, Abigail. Men and manners, principles, opinions. They've altered very much in this country. Authority is our only protection against discord, civil war and sedition. Now the office of the president, no doubt, is sufficient to establish such authority. But we must not be surprised if we ever find we need a monarch -
Abigail Adams: Oh! You would do well -
John Adams: - to keep us from coming asunder!
Abigail Adams: - to keep your thoughts to yourself, John! People will say that your mind has been tainted by foreign courts. They are already saying such things in Boston.
Abigail Adams: Oh! You would do well -
John Adams: - to keep us from coming asunder!
Abigail Adams: - to keep your thoughts to yourself, John! People will say that your mind has been tainted by foreign courts. They are already saying such things in Boston.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Thomas Jefferson: I've been, as you know, in revolutionary France, where the streets are filled with the songs of Liberty and Brotherhood, and the overthrow of ancient tyrannies of Europe. And to return from there to this, our cradle of revolution, and find the dinner table chatter is all of money, and banks, and authority, is an unwelcome surprise.
Alexander Hamilton: Unwelcome perhaps, but necessary.
Alexander Hamilton: Unwelcome perhaps, but necessary.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Alexander Hamilton: The future prosperity of this nation rests chiefly in trade. Trade depends, among other things, on the willingness of other nations to lend us money.
Thomas Jefferson: And how would you propose to establish international credit?
Alexander Hamilton: Our first step would be to incur a national debt. The greater the debt, the greater the credit. And to that end I have recommended to the president that Congress adopt all the debts incurred by the individual states during the war through a national bank. The idea being that if the states owe Congress money, then other nations will feel more inclined to lend it to us.
Thomas Jefferson: If the states are indebted to a central authority, it increases the power of the central government.
Alexander Hamilton: There you have it exactly. The greater the government's responsibility, the greater its authority.
Thomas Jefferson: The moneyed interest in this country is all in the north, so the wealth and power would inevitably be concentrated there in a federal government. To the expense of the south.
Alexander Hamilton: If that is the case, it is unavoidable if the Union is to be preserved.
Thomas Jefferson: I fear our revolution will have been in vain if a Virginia farmer is to be held in hock to a New York stock jobber, who in turn is in hock to a London banker. The opportunities for avarice and corruption would certainly prove irresistible.
Alexander Hamilton: Well there you have it, as I have heard said, "If men were angels then no government would be necessary."
Thomas Jefferson: And how would you propose to establish international credit?
Alexander Hamilton: Our first step would be to incur a national debt. The greater the debt, the greater the credit. And to that end I have recommended to the president that Congress adopt all the debts incurred by the individual states during the war through a national bank. The idea being that if the states owe Congress money, then other nations will feel more inclined to lend it to us.
Thomas Jefferson: If the states are indebted to a central authority, it increases the power of the central government.
Alexander Hamilton: There you have it exactly. The greater the government's responsibility, the greater its authority.
Thomas Jefferson: The moneyed interest in this country is all in the north, so the wealth and power would inevitably be concentrated there in a federal government. To the expense of the south.
Alexander Hamilton: If that is the case, it is unavoidable if the Union is to be preserved.
Thomas Jefferson: I fear our revolution will have been in vain if a Virginia farmer is to be held in hock to a New York stock jobber, who in turn is in hock to a London banker. The opportunities for avarice and corruption would certainly prove irresistible.
Alexander Hamilton: Well there you have it, as I have heard said, "If men were angels then no government would be necessary."
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)
Thomas Jefferson: Our constitution has many good articles, and some bad ones. I do not know yet which predominate.
John Adams: Well without this government our republic would have collapsed into anarchy long ago.
Thomas Jefferson: With this government, I am not certain that we are a republic.
John Adams: Well without this government our republic would have collapsed into anarchy long ago.
Thomas Jefferson: With this government, I am not certain that we are a republic.
TV Show: John Adams (miniseries)