On July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Adams died at his home in Quincy. His last words are often quoted as "Thomas Jefferson survives." Only the words "Thomas Jefferson" were clearly intelligible among his last, however. Adams was unaware that Jefferson, his great political rival and later friend and correspondent had died a few hours earlier on that same day.The fact that both Adams and Jefferson, both of whom had been so instrumental in creating the Declaration of Independence, would die on the fiftieth anniversary of the date of its publication, is one of the greatest coincidences in history.
The first president of the United States, George Washington, is often referred to as the Father of Our Country. He was known for his love of the land and farming, and his dislike of war. He was a distinguished general and commander in chief of the colonial armies in the American Revolution. He married a widow, Martha Dandridge Custis, and they lived at Mount Vernon, Washington's plantation in Virginia on the Potomac River.
