In this episode of the Profiles In Courage series Senator John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts, a Federalist is facing a difficult decision. In the first decade of the
19th century the British who were in a conflict with France under Napoleon Bonaparte and both the French and British raided American commerce at sea. But
since we spoke a common language with the British they took American saillors
off our ships and impressed them in the British navy.
You would have thought that this would be an outrage felt in New England most
of all. But the attitude there for the most part was a few men lost is a small
price for doing business.. Not Senator Adams. who had a national vision and
lost his Senate seat by backing President Thomas Jefferson and the Embargo on
trade with Great Britain and France.
Douglas Campbell played Adams and Alan Hewett was Jefferson. Some details
here are wrong. But the idea was Adams showed some intestinal fortitude in
going against the movers and shakers of his region in supporting the Embargo.
The Embargo was a disaster and Jefferson put an end to it before his term was up. But the Federalists lost all support south of the Potomac and gradually became a New England only party before they expired.
Adams landed on his feet so to speak. Adams got a Supreme Court appointment which he refused and then a series of diplomatic posts under Jefferson's successor James Madison. Minister to Russia, peace commissioner
to end the War of 1812at Ghent and Minister to Great Britain. That led
to being Secretary of State under Madison's successor James Monroe and then
the White House
Still he took a chance in backing the Embargo. Lucky it worked out for him.
