7 Politics

Chapter 7 Politics The new home in Braintree was a big letdown. It was larger than their old house, but compared to the mansion in Paris, it seemed to Abigail like a little "wren's house." It had low ceilings and was dark inside. Also much of their furniture had been damaged in the ocean crossing. The house needed work—lots of work —if Abigail wanted to turn it into a home. She hired carpenters and masons. She planted roses she brought from England. (They still grow there today.) Their home would be called Peacefield.

Now home, John couldn't resist returning to politics. He was elected to the US Congress. In 1789, in the first presidential election, George Washington got the most votes, but John Adams came in second. In those days, that automatically made John the vice president of the United States. Abigail was the first vice president's wife. So the Adamses were to move again!

New York was the new capital city. Abigail loved their rented mansion that overlooked the Hudson River. Nabby had just had a second baby, John Adams Smith. Her family moved into the mansion with John and Abigail. The Adamses' son Charles, now nineteen years old, was living there, too, and so was Louisa, the daughter of Abigail's brother, who had died recently. Whenever Abigail's children or relatives needed a place to stay, she took them in. More to the point, Abigail loved having everyone

there. But there were worries, too. Nabby's husband, William, was irresponsible and owed people money. John Quincy was having a hard time starting his law practice. Charles drank too much. Thomas was often sick.

WHAT TO CALL THE PRESIDENT WITH SUCH A NEW GOVERNMENT, NO ONE WAS SURE WHAT TO CALL THE PRESIDENT. SHOULD HE BE JUST "MR. WASHINGTON" OR "MR. PRESIDENT"? OR SHOULD HE BE "EXCELLENCY" OR EVEN "HIS HIGHNESS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND PROTECTOR OF THE RIGHTS OF SAME"? JOHN ADAMS ARGUED THAT THE TITLE SHOULD BE HONORABLE AND GRAND. HE LIKED "HIS MAJESTY THE PRESIDENT." ABIGAIL WOULD NOT HAVE LIKED THAT. SHE DIDN'T BELIEVE IN FANCY TITLES. THE SENATE ARGUED ABOUT THIS FOR A

MONTH, AND THEIR DECISION MUST HAVE PLEASED ABIGAIL. SIMPLY "THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES" WAS GOOD ENOUGH. AND PEOPLE WOULD JUST CALL HIM "MR. PRESIDENT."