Celebrating John Adams
One of the most popular patriotic songs of the late-eighteenth century was “Adams and Liberty,” with words written by Robert Treat Paine (1731–1814), one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The song celebrates all who worked for liberty, including second U.S. president John Adams (1735–1826), in office from 1797 to 1801, who is pictured in a cameo engraving on the music. The words were sung to the tune of “To Anacreon in Heav’n.” This melody is today best known as “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
<p>One of the most popular patriotic songs of the late-eighteenth century was “Adams and Liberty,” with words written by Robert Treat Paine (1731–1814), one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The song celebrates all who worked for liberty, including second U.S. president John Adams (1735–1826), in office from 1797 to 1801, who is pictured in a cameo engraving on the music. The words were sung to the tune of “To Anacreon in Heav’n.” This melody is today best known as “The Star-Spangled Banner.”</p>