Sketches in History | The President's Watch
Hello, and welcome back to Sketches in History! I'm Lottie Archer, your guide. Every week, we sit in my grandfather's study and open my magical notebook to a sketch from history, letting it pull us into the past to experience a moment first-hand. Last time, we witnessed the Great Compromise that led to the signing of the United States Constitution! Today, we're journeying to another transformative moment in American history, but like last time, let's begin in my grandfather's study.
There’s a fire burning in hearth. I’ve turned on a few low lights around the study and dusted off everything since our last adventure. I can see the clouds outside the windows cover the sky like a blanket. It’s a good thing we’re in here where its warm and cozy. As we walk past a display of an old Warhammer and bow, I see that a gold chain is hanging off the mantelpiece. Let’s walk over and see what it is.
It's an old pocket watch, resting in a small velvet-lined box. I see that gold has tarnished a bit with age, and the metal feels like it might break if you handled it too roughly. But what's really interesting is that the watch has stopped…the hands are frozen at exactly 4:00am. There's a small brass plate beneath it that reads "J. Adams, Washington, March 4, 1801."
How strange! Why would my grandfather keep a broken watch? And why did it stop exactly at 4am? Let me look closer... there's an inscription on the back: "John Adams - Second President of the United States." Wow, I think this used to belong to President John Adams! I can’t wait to see what the notebook shows us.
But first, let's learn our word of the day: precedent.
A precedent is when you do something for the very first time that becomes an example for everyone who comes after you. It's like being the first kid in your class to share your lunch with someone who forgot theirs, then other kids see you do it and start doing it too. When you set a precedent, you're creating a new tradition, a new way of doing things that others will follow.
Let's get the notebook and look at the sketch it has for us!
This sketch is different from the others we've seen. It shows the interior of what looks like a grand house. There's a short, stout man sitting at a desk covered in papers. He's writing by candlelight and it appears to be very early in the morning. Through the window behind him, I can just make out the Capitol building in the distance. The man looks tired and sad, but there's something determined about the way he holds his quill.
The sketch is beginning to move! The candle flame is flickering. The man's hand is starting to write. Are you ready? Close your eyes, hold on tight, and let's go!
We made it! It looks like we're in Washington, D.C., but it doesn't look like the Washington we know today. The city seems almost empty. There are more trees than buildings! And it's cold this morning, really cold. We're inside what appears to be the President's House and what one day people will call The White House. The walls are still unpainted in some rooms, and I can smell fresh plaster and wood.
Listen, do you hear that? It's the scratch of a quill on paper. Let's move closer to see who's writing.
It's John Adams! He's the President of the United States, but... wait, look at the calendar on his desk. It's March 4, 1801. That means today is the last day of his presidency! He lost the election to Thomas Jefferson, his old friend who became his biggest political rival.
Adams looks exhausted. His clothes are a bit wrinkled, like he's been up all night. And it looks like he has been! Look at all these papers on his desk. He's signing appointments for judges and other officials. I think some people will call these "midnight appointments" because he's doing them at the very last minute before Jefferson becomes president.
I can hear footsteps in the hallway. A young secretary enters the room.
William: "Mr. President," he says quietly, "your carriage is being prepared. The inauguration ceremony begins at noon."
Adams doesn't look up from his writing.
John Adams: "I am aware of the time, thank you. There is still work to be done.”
The secretary looks surprised.
William: "Sir?"
John Adams: "These judicial appointments won't sign themselves, William. These are good men who will serve their country well as judges."
Adams' quill scratches across another document.
William: "Sir, will you be attending Mr. Jefferson's inauguration?"
Now Adams stops writing. He sets down his quill and rubs his tired eyes. For a long moment, he doesn't speak. Then he says something that surprises me.
John Adam: "No, William. I will not attend."
The secretary looks shocked.
William: "But sir, you're the President! Every…"
John Adams: "I know that I will cease to be president at noon today. Mr. Jefferson and I... we were once the closest of friends. We worked together to create this nation. But now..."
He trails off.
William: "Now you're enemies."
John Adams: "No, not enemies. We simply see different paths for this country. He believes one thing, I believe another, and the people have chosen his path. That is what we fought a revolution to achieve. In a few hours, I will peacefully hand over power to my political opponent. No army will force me out. No revolution will topple me. I will simply... leave. Because the people have voted within our constitutional republic, and I have lost."
Just then, we hear a commotion outside. Through the window, we can see people beginning to gather in the streets, heading toward the Capitol building for Jefferson's inauguration. Some are cheering, some are singing. They're celebrating their new president. Adams watches them for a moment. I can see so many emotions cross his face…sadness, pride, worry, hope. Then he returns to his final letters.
A knock comes at the door. A man peers in and tells the now former President that his carriage is ready. He reaches into his vest pocket and pulls out a gold pocket watch.
John Adams: "Four o'clock."
He runs his thumb over the inscription on the back:
John Adams: "John Adams - Second President of the United States."
The secretary watches as Adams seems to make a decision. He clicks the watch closed and sets it carefully on the desk.
John Adams: "This watch belongs to a different time now. Besides, Mr. Jefferson will need to know exactly when the previous president left. Let him see that I departed in the early morning darkness, leaving the full light of this day to him."
He puts on his coat, takes one last look around the office, and then writes a note on the desk. I can just make out what it says:
"To President Jefferson…May God grant you wisdom and strength in this office. Your predecessor, J. Adams." He places the watch next to the note, its hands still showing 4:00 AM, the time he arrived this morning to complete his final duties.”
As we watch Adams walk out, his footsteps echoing in the hallway, I realize we're witnessing something incredible. This man is walking away from the most powerful position in the country, not because anyone is making him, but because that's what's supposed to happen. He's setting a precedent for every president who will come after him.
Let's follow him outside. His carriage is waiting. Adams climbs in, and without fanfare, without ceremony, the second President of the United States rides away from Washington as the bells begin to ring, announcing that Thomas Jefferson is now the third President.
The pictures are starting to fade. Let's open the notebook again so we can return to the study.
Whew! We're back in the study, warm and safe. The pocket watch on the mantelpiece seems even more precious now that we know its story. Those hands frozen at 4:00 AM mark the exact moment when John Adams chose to put his country before himself, arriving in the darkness to finish his duties, and leaving before noon to give Jefferson his day.
Let's see what the notebook says about what we just witnessed.
We just experienced March 4, 1801, the first peaceful transfer of power between opposing political parties in world history. John Adams, a Federalist, had lost the election to Thomas Jefferson, a Democrat. The campaign had been bitter and personal. The two men, once close friends who worked together to declare independence, had become political rivals who deeply disagreed about how the country should be run.
Adams chose not to attend Jefferson's inauguration, leaving Washington in the early morning hours. Some people thought this was rude, but Adams believed his presence might distract from the important message: that in America, power transfers peacefully according to the will of the people.
This moment established a precedent that continues to this day. No matter how bitter the campaign, no matter how disappointed the loser, American presidents’ hand over power peacefully when their time is up. Adams showed the world that in a constitutional republic, no one person is more important than the system itself.
Years later, Adams and Jefferson would become friends again through letters, writing to each other about their memories and hopes for the country. In an amazing coincidence, both men died on the same day, July 4, 1826, exactly fifty years after the Declaration of Independence.
Remember our word of the day? That’s right, precedent. John Adams set an incredible precedent that day. By peacefully leaving office when he lost the election, he created an example that every American president has followed ever since. No other country had ever done this before! Adams didn't just leave office; he created a tradition that has protected our democracy for over 220 years. That's the power of setting a good precedent.
What an incredible moment we just witnessed! We saw a constitutional republic work in a way that we still see today. We watched a man choose to walk away from power because that's what the people wanted. We learned that sometimes the most important thing you can do is set a good example for everyone who comes after you.
John Adams once said, "Facts are stubborn things." Well, here's a stubborn fact: the precedent that Adams set on that chilly March morning in 1801 has protected our constitutional republic for over two centuries. Every peaceful transfer of power since then has followed the example he set. By choosing to walk away, Adams didn't just end his presidency; he showed every future president how to put the country first.
Thank you for joining me for another adventure through time! Don't forget to subscribe to the 15-Minute History Podcast so you won't miss a single journey. And if there's a moment in history you'd love to explore with me, send your ideas to 15minutehistory@gmail.com.
Until next time, keep wondering, keep imagining, and remember... the past is just a page away.
Discussion Questions
Why do you think it was so important that John Adams peacefully gave up power when he lost the election?
Have you ever been the first to do something that others then followed? How did it feel to set that example?
Why do you think Adams left a kind note for Jefferson even though they had been rivals?
What might have happened if Adams had refused to leave office?
Can you think of other important precedents in history or in your own life that people still follow today?
