The Atlas of Independence

 

 

 

John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence

 Below is my version of a portion of John Adam's speech in support of declaring independence -- from Truth in Flames, p. 292.

“Let King George send his armies and navies against us. Let him turn to foul and hellish beasts who descend upon us with death and destruction. We will not be dismayed! We are consumed by the Spirit of Liberty, endowed by Providence with a Fire for Freedom. Though the Supreme Commander, unhallowed creatures, and calumnies by the crate combine against us, we shall prevail. No weapon raised against us shall prevail if we but have the courage to stand, to declare our independence, our purpose, and our power. You have heard me repeat the reasons for independence so often that you can recite them in perfect imitation. Let those arguments, those sound reasons, echo in your hearts and minds. Your souls themselves yearn for this declaration. We declare not only the independence of these colonies, we articulate the desire of every soul that ever did yearn and that will ever yet yearn to be free of tyranny.”

Other delegates called Adams an angel sent to illuminate the Congress, a pillar in support of independence, and the Atlas of American Independence. If Washington was the sword, and Jefferson the pen, Adams was the voice of independence. 

Adams went on to serve as a diplomat to France and was also appointed to negotiate the Treaty of Paris ending the war. He was the first ambassador to England. While in England he wrote the three volume treatise: A Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of American, which defended the principle of separation of powers in the state constitutions. In volume II he wrote:

We have all along contended, that the predominant passion of all men in power, whether kings, nobles, or plebeians, is the same; that tyranny will be the effect, whoever are the governors, whether the one, the few, or the many, if uncontrolled by equal laws, made by common consent, and supported, protected, and enforced by three different orders of men in equilibrio.

He was Washington's vice-president and became our nation's second president when he defeated Thomas Jefferson in the election. He lost to Jefferson in the next election, and Jefferson became the 3rd President of The United States of America. Both Adams and Jefferson died within hours of each other July 4, 1826.

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In celebration of Independence Day--something Adams wholeheartedly endorsed-- Clamorous Harbingers, book 3 in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire Series is available for only 99 cents for a few days beginning July 3.  And Promise of Carnage and Flame, book 4 in the series is also reduced for the same time period. Get them now.

Although a good portion of the writing this week on book 6 has been on new chapters, I did have to go back a couple chapters to include a battle that is critical to the way things evolve in the story. Naturally, I can only blame myself for the oversight, but I would be happy to blame someone else if I thought it would stick.

I love weaving the fantasy elements into the historical story. The alternate history angle allows me to vary actual events in ways that fit the needs of my story and characters while preserving important elements in the historical narrative. The excerpt from my version of Adams' speech above is a good example. You might remember that the Supreme Commander and hellish beasts of death and destruction were not part of King George's historical arsenal--but they are in my story. It's the best of both worlds, as Sammy Hagar and Van Halen might say. Or it's the best of all possible worlds, as Candide would declare.