Rear cover notes: "The quality of the American character, the structure of American society, the meaning of America"s historical experience - each had important implications for John Adams" political thought. Professor Howe brings Adams" thought and his experience as an active political leader into effective conjunction. He emphasizes that Adams was predominantly a man of action rather than reflection, a political leader rather than a theorist. Professor Howe explores the relationships that developed between the satisfactions of Adams" life and his outlook on American society. He shows that there was an important causal relationship between Adams" observations of the American people and his conclusions about them. Prominent in Adams" thinking was the prevailing moral tone of American society. The interpretation that he gave to the political problem of maintaining social stability grew out of his most basic assumptions about the American character and its values, its present condition and probable future circumstances. As his understanding of these matters altered, so did his evaluation of American society and the political problems facing it; that is, so did his political thought. These changes constitute the principal theme of this book."