Abstract
In opposition to the democratic vision stands another school of thought which is at the origin of the belief that America was never intended to be a democracy. It advocates mainly representation by the elites and a separation of powers, and we shall see what becomes of it in the context of the young republic struggling for independence and trying to establish a government of its own. We analyze these aspects through John Adams' work, Thoughts on Government and the Federalist. The republican vision of government was exemplified by Adams' work. The son of a farmer and deacon also named John; he was born in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1735. He went to Harvard and became a lawyer, though his father wanted him to become a minister. He married his wife Abigail (1744-1818) in 1764. Among their six children was John Quincy, who became the sixth president of the United States. Also of importance in his family was his cousin Samuel Adams, a political leader in Boston.
