John Adams and The Way Things Were

I have to say that I have really enjoyed watching the first two episodes of John Adams on HBO. Tom Hanks appears to have done a fabulous job of capturing the Spirit of 1776 on film. Perhaps the most satisfying thing for me is just observing how people lived 250 years ago and that is certainly reflected in the program.

Two centuries ago, even the rich people like John Adams did not have indoor plumbing. They had to go to the public hand pumps in the city or pull water from the well when they were at the farm. Today 99% of homes have running water in the US. Homes were also very sparse and they heated with wood or coal. This meant huddling around the fire to stay warm in the winter. On the flip side, the summers were brutal (not to mention they wore those hideous suits and wigs) and you could clearly see the uncomfortableness of even the rich in Philadelphia in July of 1776. Today most American homes have air conditioning, even the "poor."

Abigail Adams, maybe one of the most influential women in American history, yet she could be seen on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor. Personally, I would take the carpeted floor and the vacuum we enjoy today (as would my bride). Abigail also made the decision to infect her children with small pox in hopes that exposure would lessen the chance of the disease being fatal. Today, we have vaccines that have essentially eliminated small pox as opposed to what the disease could have done to entire populations 250 years ago.

Episode two ended with John Adams returning to Philadelphia from Boston, on horseback. There was no airplane, car or even a train to help him make the trip. John Adams had to send correspondence to his wife through courier, not email, not to mention there was no ability to call home on a phone, cell or otherwise.

So when people talk about a return to the good 'ole days, I have to respectfully decline. There was not less stress 250 years ago, just different stresses, like survival. I would bet that there would not be one person 250 years ago that would not trade their position in life then for that of the "poor" person of today. Medical breakthroughs, mechanization, communication and overall standard of living improvement make today's society superior in every way. It was made possible by the Liberty the Founders were able to gain in the summer of 1776.