History Characters / SeventeenSeventySix

:: Franklin himself was born and grew up in Boston, running away to Philadelphia at age 17.

* CompositeCharacter: While he is largely the historical John Adams in his intelligence, standoffish attitude, lack of charisma and strained-but-happy family life, the character in the play has absorbed many aspects of his cousin Samuel Adams, including his radical politics, forceful advocacy of "independency," firebrand temper, and several very choice quotes about slavery. Although John Adams hated slavery, never owning a slave on principle[[note]]even though, by his estimation, it cost him thousands of dollars over his life to employ men fairly instead[[/note]] and and occasionally represented slaves in legal cases for their freedom, he was well aware that the issue of slavery would tear the United States apart and so he actually opposed making slavery a national issue for basically the reasons the fictional Franklin cites to the fictional Adams. The Adamses (primarily John) later drafted the Massachusetts Constitution, which effectively banned slavery in the state in 1780 when enslaved people recognized that the language of Article I made slavery inherently unconstitutional, and their successful lawsuits established established the precedent.

* VictorianNovelDisease: The period predates the Victorian era, but Caesar's cancer otherwise qualifies. It's much more delicately presented than in real life (he's weak and has to wear facial coverings, but half his face isn't gone). He still manages to overcome it once more to break the tie on independence.

* NamesTheSame (InUniverse): The great-grandson of his great-grandson would later become [[Series/TheWestWing President of the United States]]. (No, really -- Creator/AaronSorkin explicitly said that President Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet was most definitely one of ''those'' Bartletts.)
* StopHavingFunGuys: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]]. He proposes a piece of legislation to ban gambling, horse racing, drinking, etc... and is immediately shouted down by the rest of Congress.

->'''Played by:''' Edmund Lyndeck (1969 Broadway run), James Noble (1972 film)

* BurningTheShips: After the South walks out over slavery, the independence men are completely fed up with the whole business and ignore Adams' desperate attempts to drive them on, leaving him alone for "Is Anybody There?" During the song, Adams declares that he cannot give up because he's already "crossed the Rubicon", as far as he's concerned, and he won't stop until he realizes his dreams of a free America.

* DeterminedHomesteadersWife: She capably managed the farm while Adams was away at Congress and turned a profit on it in RealLife, despite her gloomy letters in the musical.

* CompositeCharacter: While he is largely the historical John Adams in his intelligence, standoffish attitude, lack of charisma and strained-but-happy family life, the character in the play has absorbed many aspects of his cousin Samuel Adams, including his radical politics, firebrand temper, and several very choice quotes about slavery. Sam Adams' forceful advocacy of independence is given to John Adams. Although John Adams hated slavery, never owning a slave on principle[[note]]even though, by his estimation, it cost him thousands of dollars over his life to employ men fairly instead[[/note]] and and occasionally represented slaves in legal cases for their freedom. However, he was well aware that the issue of slavery would tear the United States apart and so he actually opposed making slavery a national issue for basically the reasons the fictional Franklin cites to the fictional Adams. The Adamses (primarily John) later drafted the Massachusetts Constitution, which effectively banned slavery in the state in 1780.[[note]]Although it did not specifically mention it, the language of Article I made it easy for enslaved people to sue slaveholders for violating it--which two did immediately, leading to 1781 precedents that declared slavery unconstitutional in the state.[[/note]]
* {{Determinator}}: ''Commitment!''

* ElevenOClockNumber: "Is Anybody There?" [[spoiler:As it turns out, Lyman Hall was.]]

* BrutalHonesty: Finds Franklin sitting for a portrait. Franklin asks his opinion. Adams says "it stinks" to the artist.

* VictorianNovelDisease: The period predates the Victorian era, but Caesar's cancer otherwise qualifies.

* SuddenlyShouting:

* CompositeCharacter: While he is largely the historical John Adams in his intelligence, standoffish attitude, lack of charisma and strained-but-happy family life, the character in the play has absorbed many aspects of his cousin Samuel Adams, including his radical politics, firebrand temper, and several very choice quotes about slavery. Sam Adams' forceful advocacy of independence is given to John Adams. Although John Adams hated slavery, never owning a slave on principle[[note]]even though, by his estimation, it cost him thousands of dollars over his life to employ men fairly instead[[/note]] and and occasionally represented slaves in legal cases for their freedom. However, he was well aware that the issue of slavery would tear the United States apart and so he actually opposed making slavery a national issue for basically the reasons the fictional Franklin cites to the fictional Adams. The Adamses (primarily John) later drafted the Massachusetts Constitution, which effectively banned slavery in the state in 1780.[[note]]Although it did not specifically mention it, the language of Article I made it easy for enslaved people to sue slaveholders for violating Article I--which two did immediately, leading to 1781 precedents that declared slavery unconstitutional in the state.[[/note]]

* CompositeCharacter: While he is largely the historical John Adams in his intelligence, standoffish attitude, lack of charisma and strained-but-happy family life, the character in the play has absorbed many aspects of his cousin Samuel Adams, including his radical politics, firebrand temper, and several very choice quotes about slavery. The real John Adams never owned a slave on principle, even though it cost him thousands of dollars to employ men instead of using slaves, and occasionally represented slaves in legal cases for their freedom. However, he was well aware that the issue of slavery would tear the United States apart and so he actually opposed making slavery a national issue for basically the reasons the play/movie Franklin cites to the play/movie Adams. His drafting of the Massachusetts Constitution caused the banning of slavery in the state in 1780.

!!'''Samuel Adams, Delegate for Massachusetts'''
--> '''Played by:''' N/A
John’s cousin and fellow Massachusetts delegate, who is absent during the events of the movie.
----
* DemotedToExtra: Or rather demoted to TheGhost. In real life, he stayed at the convention until the end and was a major firebrand, while here, [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere he went home some time before the first scene due to frustration about how little was getting done.]]
* TheGhost: He is briefly mentioned but never seen.

* HistoricalDowngrade: Franklin's manipulating Lee into proposing independence is entirely fictional. Lee was a very capable and respected justice and politician in his own right. And he gets PutOnABus to Virginia to serve as governor, something which never happened in history because his character's fictional silliness would undermine the more serious tone of the later acts.

* {{Hypocrite}}: When John wants the slavery clause removed, South Carolina's Edward Rutledge calls him out, noting that even though the Northern states don't own slaves,[[note]]Metaphorically--slavery was legal and common in the North, but did not reach the ''industrialized'' levels that the South had[[/note]] they make quite a profit from importing them into the Colonies just before the "Molasses to Rum" musical number:

* HistoricalDowngrade: He's characterized as a weak-willed toady for Dickinson who [[spoiler:votes for independence largely because he prefers obscurity to being remembered as the man who prevented it]]. It's now believed that Dickinson wanted to check with his constituents before he took a clear stance on such an important issue.

** Franklin himself was born and grew up in Boston, running away to Philadelphia at age 17.

* {{Foil}}: To Benjamin Franklin - Read is the only anti-independence member of the Delaware delegation, much like Franklin is the only pro-independence member of the Pennsylvania delegation.

* SuddenlyShouting: "Mister Morris... ''WHAT IN HELL GOES ON IN NEW YORK?!''"

* ShutUpHannibal: When Rutledge is singing "Molasses to Rum to Slaves", he gets fed up with Rutledge's hamminess and has a strong emotional outburst of outrage:
-->'''Bartlett''': For the love of God, Mr. Rutledge, please!

* EveryoneHasStandards: When Jefferson strikes the mentions of slavery from the Declaration, Dickinson is clearly in focus with an uneasy expression shaking his head.

* ViolentGlaswegian: His arguments with Read are at bombastic high volume, sometimes including threats. In the film, he seems to have brought a ''musket'' into the chamber, which he fires into the ceiling to break up the fight between Adams and Dickinson.

* SmallRoleBigImpact: He's a fairly minor character, but once Rodney leaves, his vote is enough to make Delaware side with the independence delegation and deadlock the issue of whether all motions must be carried unanimously.

* SkunkStripe: The wig design in both the original Broadway production and the film; also an ActorAllusion, as that was how Holgate's hair was actually graying.

* AtLeastIAdmitIt: He knows full well about the horrors of the slave trade that fuels Southern plantations, and is infuriated that the northern colonies disavow all responsibility and point fingers at the South.

* WhatTheHellHero: "Molasses to Rum" is this, in song form, to Adams and the northern colonies in general. Rutledge points out that for all their moral objections to slaves on plantations, it's Boston ships that are sailing to Africa. Even stone-faced Bartlett is broken and horrified. "For the love of God, Mister Rutledge! Please!" And Adams, for once, can find nothing to say in rebuttal.

* TheDitherer: Judge Wilson, as portrayed in the play, is a colorless, weak-willed chameleon who usually votes whatever way Dickinson does. Even his old court cases were all decided based entirely on precedent and the rules of order. However, at the end of the play, Franklin calls for a poll of the Pennsylvania delegation...and Wilson's the one who has to cast the deciding vote for the state. With all eyes on him and everyone waiting for his decision, he realizes that if he continues being Dickinson's YesMan and votes against independence, he'll be remembered forever by history as the guy who denied the American colonies their liberty- so he [[spoiler: breaks with Dickinson and votes ''for'' independence to become just another voice in the crowd and avoid that fate.]]

!!Samuel Adams

* SmallRoleBigImpact: He's a fairly minor character, but once Rodney leaves, his vote is enough to deadlock the Delaware delegation at a crucial moment where it was needed to ''break'' a deadlock.