{"id":32,"date":"2012-10-09T11:52:48","date_gmt":"2012-10-09T15:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/?p=32"},"modified":"2012-11-23T14:35:53","modified_gmt":"2012-11-23T19:35:53","slug":"blind-bald-crippled-toothless-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/1800\/blind-bald-crippled-toothless-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Blind, Bald, Crippled, Toothless Man"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blind, Bald, Crippled, Toothless Man\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3za7l3gcpVM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Robyn Shapiro<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">Election of 1800 Adams Attack Ad<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 While certainly a qualified and formative figure of the Revolution, President Adams was unable to hold together burgeoning parties that were increasingly fueled by self-interest and personal vendettas. His first term consisted of a number of mistakes that today would be seen as disastrous public relations failures. <!--more-->These mistakes and accounts, disparaging to his likeability, were featured throughout the ad.<\/p>\n<p>To set the tone against Adams, it was important to include and exploit the wild stereotypes he and his party carried. The ad is entitled \u201cBlind, Bald, Crippled, Toothless Man,\u201d a Jefferson quotation that is incredibly reproachful. Following a picture of Adams, is a Fisher Ames quotation: \u201ccreature of impulse or freakish humor.\u201d This line, because it given by a fellow Federalist, was even more useful in emphasizing his distance from the voter. Adams\u2019 character becomes questionable, as does his ability to lead. Next is another quotation from Fisher Ames, that begins to challenge his actual presidency and denies support for re-election: \u201cPresident Adams has not our approbation of some of his measures, nor do we desire his re-election.\u201d I found the sense of plural disapproval particularly interesting. Moreover it is useful in including the viewer in a mindset negative towards Adams.<\/p>\n<p>Next is an image of the White House circa 1800 that reminds the viewer that Adams has been in control of the Presidency. This is followed by a quotation from Madison, \u201cpalpable and alarming infraction of the Constitution,\u201d which is in reference to the Alien and Sedition Acts. Using these two pieces, one after another, has the effect to not only remind of the Alien and Sedition laws, but to subvert his entire time in office as anathema to the intentions of the constitution. Where Madison retained special authority of matters of the Constitution his words are particularly effective in challenging the legitimacy of Adams\u2019 rule. The quotation is followed by another picture of Adams, and then the words \u201cExecutive party,\u201d to underscore his ambitions toward a powerful and hierarchical form of government. Continuing to emphasize the inability of Adams to control his government or command proper interaction between parties is a political cartoon of the fight between Republican Matthew Lyon and Federal Roger Griswold. His practice of government is known to lead to turmoil, and his desired government will \u201cbind us by the treble chain of fiscal, legal, and military despotism.\u201d Adams is shown to be radically unfit for his office and would likely to descend the country further into disaster if elected again.<\/p>\n<p>The remainder of the ad consists of individual portions of what was known as the Republican litany. Published in newspapers throughout the country and known to many, the litany uses common stereotypes of Adams and references a number of failures, while constantly asking the \u201cGood Lord\u201d to \u201cdeliver us.\u201d First used is \u201cFrom a burial place for American nobility,\u201d which is paired with a political cartoon showing the burning of American noble titles and is meant to be an allegory of liberty flourishing while old world systems fall. Next is \u201cfrom a direct tax,\u201d which is paired with a cartoon of the Whiskey rebellion that is intended to incite memories of violence caused by taxation. \u201cFrom Jay\u2019s Treaty,\u201d is paired with an actual picture of the document, an old issue, but one that was central to characterizations of the Federalists as unsupportive of foreign liberty. Adams\u2019 hostility to the French and eventual quasi-war is emphasized further in the next slide which uses a satirical image of the XYZ affair, providing a challenge to Adams\u2019 skills at foreign diplomacy. \u201cFrom old Tories; from aristocrats,\u201d with a Revolution style picture of \u201cTory\u2019s Day of Judgment\u201d portrays Adams as no more American than British loyalists. A picture of the capital is used with \u201cfrom heavy taxes, expensive salaries,\u201d demonstrates contempt for the large-scale government created by the Federalists. Finally, and most egregious is \u201cfrom the alien act; from the sedition act, and from all other evils,\u201d with a picture of the Sedition Acts. Despite Federalist justifications the acts and all other evils could be seen as nothing other than direct attacks on liberty. Culminating the litany and the ad is the plea: \u201cGood Lord deliver us.\u201d Adams\u2019 presidency is ultimately characterized as a failure that must end immediately rather than continue.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Bibliography<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Adams Image #1: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vassar.edu\/headlines\/2008\/080313-adams-project.html\">http:\/\/www.vassar.edu\/headlines\/2008\/080313-adams-project.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Quote # 1: <em>Jefferson\u2019s Second Revolution: The Election Crisis of 1800 and the Triumph of Republicanism <\/em>by Susan Dunn, page 160<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Quote # 2: <em>Jefferson\u2019s Second Revolution: The Election Crisis of 1800 and the Triumph of Republicanism <\/em>by Susan Dunn, page 163<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>White House Image: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.johnhorse.com\/trail\/01\/b\/02zz.htm\">http:\/\/www.johnhorse.com\/trail\/01\/b\/02zz.htm<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Quote # 3: <em>Jefferson\u2019s Second Revolution: The Election Crisis of 1800 and the Triumph of Republicanism <\/em>by Susan Dunn, page 167<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Adams Image #2: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/2003656585\/\">http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/2003656585\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Quote # 4: <em>Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815<\/em> by Gordon Wood, page 246<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Congressional Pugilists Image: <a href=\"http:\/\/memory.loc.gov\/ammem\/amlaw\/lwpugilr.html\">http:\/\/memory.loc.gov\/ammem\/amlaw\/lwpugilr.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Quote # 5: <em>Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815<\/em> by Gordon Wood, page 246<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Republican Litany: <em>Jefferson\u2019s Second Revolution: The Election Crisis of 1800 and the Triumph of Republicanism <\/em>by Susan Dunn, page 144<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Triumph of Liberty Image: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/2003690786\/\">http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/2003690786\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Whiskey Rebellion Image: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/cph27927\/\">http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/cph27927\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Jay\u2019s Treaty Image: <a href=\"http:\/\/memory.loc.gov\/cgi-bin\/ampage?collId=llsl&amp;fileName=008\/llsl008.db&amp;recNum=129\">http:\/\/memory.loc.gov\/cgi-bin\/ampage?collId=llsl&amp;fileName=008\/llsl008.db&amp;recNum=129<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>XYZ Image: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/93509853\/\">http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/93509853\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Tory\u2019s Day of Judgment Image: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/2006691561\/\">http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/2006691561\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Capitol Image: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/92519533\/\">http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/pictures\/item\/92519533\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sedition Act Image: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.earlyamerica.com\/earlyamerica\/milestones\/sedition\/s-1.html\">http:\/\/www.earlyamerica.com\/earlyamerica\/milestones\/sedition\/s-1.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Robyn Shapiro Election of 1800 Adams Attack Ad \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 While certainly a qualified and formative figure of the Revolution, President Adams was unable to hold together burgeoning parties that were increasingly fueled by self-interest and personal vendettas. His first term &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/1800\/blind-bald-crippled-toothless-man\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":459,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26626],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-26626"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/459"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32\/revisions\/64"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/hist359f2012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}