Quincy Historical Society Book Event: John Quincy Adams- Reluctant Abolitionist - 4/18/24-7PM

I am writing to you today to let you know about an exciting event coming up this week at the Quincy Historical Society.

On April 18th, from 7-9PM, Historian Jeffrey Denman will share a fascinating story about John Quincy Adams' role in influencing the deliberation of the thorny debate about slavery on the House floor through petitioning.  His lesson is a powerful one and relevant to our recent efforts to participate in our democracy at the local level.  I attended Jeff's session last October and was blown away by the story he revealed. I have a whole new respect for JQA and I think you will also.  

Please join me this Thursday and see my book review commentary below explaining why I think this is so important at this moment for our democracy.

Book Review / Commentary:

Book Review / Commentary:

Most of us know John Quincy Adams as a former president or for his work as a lawyer representing slaves in the Amistad case. But, as Jeff so eloquently explains in this new book, few realize that his most influential years occurred after he was president when he was a Congressman in the House of Representatives later in life.  In that role he bravely squared off against the powerful slave lobby in continuous debate on the house floor.

He did this by persistently accepting and reading the many petitions being offered at that time on behalf of the citizens who objected to slavery. In doing so, he gave them a voice in the House, thus demonstrating the powerful practice of petitioning, a mode that his father, John Adams, helped codify in the US Constitution as a way for the citizens to 'speak' to their government.

Fast forward to now, it occurred to me that our City Council plays the role of the house of representative in microcosm. Over the past few years, I have noticed that residents, like myself who love and care deeply about Quincy's future, have increasingly used the method of petitioning as a way to bring visibility to issues that we care about. We do this in the hopes that our Councillors will amplify and deliberate this important feedback so that they and the City Administration will make better, more informed decisions on our behalf. 

I am a huge fan of petitions and believe that it offers a pathway for me to participate in our democracy on the local level. I frequently practice petitioning in the form of letter writing on a number of issues of the day and submit them to Councillors via email. I take extra effort to be forthright, respectful and truthful with the content.
Sadly, few Councillors acknowledge receipt of the important feedback I offer and I have found that almost none opine on the content. Most are met with silence. Recently, one Councillor told me to refrain from sending it to him/her because he/she wasn't interested in the subject matter.  I consider this an act of disrespect and a barrier to my constitutional right to participate in our democracy.  Perhaps the members of the City Council could learn from the example that JQA set back in the day and start respecting the citizens right to petition.  

They could start by formally accepting the many letters/petitions submitted to them and reading them out loud at Council meetings. Once read, they should refer them to the appropriate committee for further deliberation.  Once in committee, the committee chairs should promptly schedule public hearings to provide us a platform to 'speak' to our government directly.  Finally, they should discuss and debate the pros and cons of the feedback given in public in front of us. 

Truth is revealed through visibility and open debate!

We owe JQA a debt of gratitude for being a fierce advocate for respecting the practice of petitioning on behalf of his constituents out of respect for the First Amendment right to free speech. Our City Council should do the same.