In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, we begin our rewatch of HBO’s 2008 miniseries John Adams – and it feels different this time.

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The conversation opens in March 1770 with the Boston Massacre and John Adams’ controversial decision to defend the British soldiers charged with murder. It’s a legal drama grounded in principle, ambition, and political risk. Adams’ insistence that “facts are stubborn things” reminds us that the rule of law has always been fragile and fiercely contested in American history – even at the moment the Revolution was beginning to take shape.

From there, the episode moves into the Continental Congress and the uncertain, often chaotic path toward independence. Jake, Justin, and Molly unpack the radicalization of John Adams, the careful diplomacy of Benjamin Franklin, and the emerging leadership of George Washington. They also examine the drafting of the Declaration of Independence – Jefferson’s pen, Franklin’s edits, and the slavery clause that did not survive the final vote.

Along the way, the trio reflects on the instability of revolutionary Boston, the politics behind independence, the role of smallpox and inoculation during wartime, and the indispensable presence of Abigail Adams. Far from a background figure, Abigail emerges as a moral compass, political strategist, and intellectual equal – one of the Revolution’s quiet architects.

This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores:

• The Boston Massacre and why Adams defended the British soldiers
• “Facts are stubborn things” and the meaning of the rule of law
• The violence and instability of revolutionary Boston
• The Continental Congress and the messy politics of independence
• Jefferson, Franklin, and the drafting of the Declaration
• The slavery clause that didn’t survive
• Smallpox, inoculation, and medicine in wartime
• Abigail Adams as the quiet force behind the Revolution

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Listen to our previous podcast episode

Podcast | Governor’s Scandal: Sally McDowell, Francis Thomas, and A Very Public Divorce in the 1840s

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