History Theatre / SeventeenSeventySix

::: This being the same John Hancock who briefly suspended Hopkins' rum privileges for abuse of them, a bostonian no less proper than John Adams himself

* GenderFlip: There is a 2021 Broadway revival, the cast consisting of all women.

* AnachronismStew:
** A muddied example with the song "Cool, Cool, Considerate Men" and its line "Never to the left, forever to the right". The concept of Left and Right Wing politics came about due to the French Revolution, more than a decade later, which would make this terminology an anachronism under normal circumstances. InUniverse, however, they are referring to the sliding board used to track their votes, which would bring it back into historical accuracy... if said board itself were not an invention of the play.
** The labeling of the anti-independence faction as "conservative" was itself an anachronism. Every man in the Continental Congress was a liberal in the classical sense. The true conservative position in English politics at the time was vehemently pro-monarchy and would have found the idea of an unauthorized congress distasteful no matter what they were discussing. However, they do represent the relatively conservative position within the Continental Congress at the time.
** Adams and Franklin waltz with Martha Jefferson in "He Plays the Violin." At the time, the waltz was a highly scandalous European dance.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Jefferson, speaking of black slavery, says that "the rights of man are deeply wounded by this infamous practice!" And Rutledge utterly nails him with, "Then see to your own wounds, Mr. Jefferson, for you are a practitioner! ''Are you not''?!" Jefferson is clearly shaken by this; publicly, he commits to freeing all of his slaves when the time is ripe. [[spoiler: He doesn't. Jefferson couldn't stay solvent even ''with'' slaves, but nobody with an estate as big as his could stay solvent without them.]] And at the end of "Molasses to Rum," a musical number about how it's New England sea traders who buy and sell the South's slaves in the first place, Rutledge concludes: "Mr. Adams, I give you a toast! Hail Boston! Hail Charleston! ''Who stinketh the most?!"''

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

-->'''Adams''' [to Franklin]: ''We still know how to do some things in Boston''!

** The debate over American Independence did not boil down to an argument over the phrasing of the Declaration and whether slavery ought to be condemned, as it more or less does in the movie. While the wording of the Declaration ''was'' debated, Congress had, in a surprisingly lucid moment, decided to vote on the issue first and argue the wording of the document after the fact, i.e. Congress had already voted in favor of independence before making changes to the Declaration.[[note]]The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Resolution Lee Resolution]] for independence, the vote that mattered, was on July 2. John Adams later incorrectly anticipated the United States celebrating July 2 as Independence Day.[[/note]] The fictionalized debate did serve to make the musical more politically correct by modern standards, and more dramatic since it added an element of "what are you willing to compromise?" to the mix. And it set up one of the musical's most profound comments on American Politics, Franklin's "Whether you like it or not, John, these men will become part of the country you hope to create" (a very, very significant line in this era where phrases like "un-American" are used so frequently in political debate). Still, historically speaking, slavery was not in any way the point on which the issue of independence hinged. It probably ''could'' have been, but the Revolutionary leaders, as a whole and by silent agreement, passed the buck for [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar the next generation to deal with]].[[note]]Prophetically, Adams wrote in a letter that the Slavery Issue would tear the country apart in a century.[[/note]]

** There is a souvenir program out there that shows pictures from the movie and some behind-the-scenes stuff, including the names of the rest of the delegates seen in the movie (mostly Southerners to fill out the dance line in "Cool Considerate Men") For example, the man that yelled "''Will someone shut that man up?''" during "Sit Down, John", is Georgia delegate George Walton.[[note]]In the stage version, where Walton and the other "extra" delegates don't appear, that line is sung by Robert Livingston of New York.[[/note]]

** A muddied example with the song "Cool, Cool Considerate Men" and its line "Never to the left, forever to the right". The concept of Left and Right Wing politics came about due to the French Revolution, more than a decade later, which would make this terminology an anachronism under normal circumstances. InUniverse, however, they are referring to the sliding board used to track their votes, which would bring it back into historical accuracy... if said board itself were not an invention of the play.

* ArtisticLicense: Since they didn't have transcripts of the actual events beyond the basic parliamentary records of Congressional activity, putting all the notes and diaries into a narrative required this.

** Adams, to Franklin, Livingston, and Sherman after Adams chooses Jefferson to write the Declaration, at the end of "But Mr. Adams."

* {{Bowdlerise}}: Until the Blu-Ray release, the only version of the movie to reach televisions was a severely-edited copy that obscured or completely removed many of the raunchier bits, including the whole "New Brunswick" sequence and the latter half of Franklin's "it's like calling an ox a bull" exchange with Dickinson. Even the version that hit the theaters was badly chopped, among other things excluding lines that made it clear Rutledge's opposition to the slavery clause was not due to mindless evil, but because he saw it as a betrayal of a promise that the independence faction would allow states to govern themselves as they saw fit. It's also missing a whole musical number, "Cool Considerate Men," which was cut at the behest of President Richard Nixon by Jack Warner.

* CrowdSong: No one in Congress likes John Adams, apparently. "''Sit down, John!''" (He ''is'' obnoxious and disliked, though.)

* DiesWideOpen: "Mama, Look Sharp!" is mostly sung by a dying minuteman. The last verse, sung by the now-dead minuteman's mother, talks about closing his body's eyes before she buries him.

* DyingAlone: "Mama, Look Sharp!" is sung from the perspective of a young militiaman who dies before his mother finds him.

** Played straight with Secretary Thomson. While he is a genuine historical figure, very little was known about him then or since-- and what little is known is far from flattering-- so the authors were either free or forced to flesh out his character to fit the story.

** To a lesser degree, Dickinson raises a fair point that open revolution is hardly the final option on the negotiating table with Great Britain; moreover, challenging England's military supremacy is a rather suicidal idea (even Franklin concedes this is true). The original cut of the movie paints Dickinson in a more sympathetic brush by deleting the scene where he croons "Cool, Considerate Men", which all but spelled out that he is a commissar protecting his business interests.

* LettingTheAirOutOfTheBand: When his wife comes to visit, Jefferson starts to reprise "He Plays the Violin" on his ... violin. It quickly peters out as Adams and Franklin listen in.

* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Edward Rutledge's "Molasses to Rum to Slaves" number praises the Northern states' commerce of bibles and rum, and their importation of slaves, which makes it possible for Southern landowners to have slaves in the first place. New Hampshire's Josiah Bartlett eventually becomes disgusted by Rutledge's hammy singing of the slave auctioneer's cries, and asks Rutledge to cease.

* HollywoodNight: Both averted and not. The "Piddle, Twiddle and Resolve" number is clearly shot at night in front of the Independence Hall facade, but the later duet where John and Abigail walk across their farm at "night" is obviously a blue-filtered daytime shot. Then again, it ''is'' an imaginary/dream sequence, and the filter use may have been an intentional stylistic decision to emphasize that.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Jefferson, speaking of black slavery, says that "the rights of man are deeply wounded by this infamous practice!" And Rutledge utterly nails him with, "Then see to your own wounds, Mr. Jefferson, for you are a practitioner! ''Are you not''?!" Jefferson is clearly shaken by this; publicly, he commits to freeing all of his slaves when the time is ripe. [[spoiler: He doesn't. Jefferson couldn't stay solvent even ''with'' slaves, but nobody with an estate as big as his could stay solvent without them.]] And at the end of "Molasses to Rum" Rutledge concludes: "Mr. Adams, I give you a toast! Hail Boston! Hail Charleston! ''Who stinketh the most?!"''

** The debate over American Independence did not boil down to an argument over the phrasing of the Declaration and whether slavery ought to be legal, as it more or less does in the movie. While the wording of the Declaration ''was'' debated, Congress had, in a surprisingly lucid moment, decided to vote on the issue first and argue the wording of the document after the fact, i.e. Congress had already voted in favor of independence before making changes to the Declaration.[[note]]The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Resolution Lee Resolution]] for independence, the vote that mattered, was on July 2. John Adams later incorrectly anticipated the United States celebrating July 2 as Independence Day.[[/note]] The fictionalized debate did serve to make the musical more politically correct by modern standards, and more dramatic since it added an element of "what are you willing to compromise?" to the mix. And it set up one of the musical's most profound comments on American Politics, Franklin's "Whether you like it or not, John, these men will become part of the country you hope to create" (a very, very significant line in this era where phrases like "un-American" are used so frequently in political debate). Still, historically speaking, slavery was not in any way the point on which the issue of independence hinged. It probably ''could'' have been, but the Revolutionary leaders, as a whole and by silent agreement, passed the buck for [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar the next generation to deal with]].[[note]]Prophetically, Adams wrote in a letter that the Slavery Issue would tear the country apart in a century.[[/note]]

** Both Adams and Franklin are portrayed as staunch opponents of slavery. Franklin claims to have started one of the first anti-slavery associations in America. This is not true, though he did speak out against slavery in the last years of his life. [[http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/franklin/ His final public act was in the form of a petition asking Congress to abolish slavery and the slave trade.]]

* {{Hypocrite}}: When Adams objects to slavery as being an offense against God and man in addition to the "filthy purse strings", Rutledge points out how the northern colonists have profited considerably from importing slaves into the northern colonies despite not owning any themselves:

** To a lesser degree, Dickinson raises a fair point that open revolution is hardly the final option on the negotiating table with Great Britain; moreover, challenging England's military supremacy is a rather suicidal idea (even Franklin concedes this is true). The movie paints Dickinson in a more sympathetic brush by deleting the scene where he croons "Cool, Considerate Men', which all but spelled out that he is a commissar protecting his business interests.
** Though Rutledge's insistence that the vote should be unanimous is portrayed as another tactic to kill the bid for independence, Hancock agrees with him and casts the tiebreaker vote in favor of unanimity. He explains this is because to do otherwise would force the loyalist states to fight the independent ones, putting the new nation on a foundation of fratricide and immediately branding the new nation with "[[CainAndAbel the Mark of Cain]]."

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: John Adams's stubbornness in insisting that the anti-slavery clause remains in the Declaration results in the delegates from Georgia and the Carolinas walking out of the convention until the offending passage is removed, which almost makes Samuel Chase's of Maryland's decision to vote for independence pointless if the clause remained in the draft.

* PoliticalCorrectnessIsEvil: A clear demonstration that this attitude has been a part of American culture for longer than American culture has been American. Jefferson is eventually obliged to remove all mention of a war, the British parliament, and, more dramatically, [[spoiler:slavery]]. He ''does'' draw the line at not calling the king a tyrant. The entire Congress's threshold snaps in a very different place, when one delegate objects that nowhere in Mr. Jefferson's declaration does he mentions deep-sea fishing rights.

* TheQuisling: Dickinson is the chief opponent in Adams' quest for independence. He is well-connected, rich, and -- worst of all -- silver-tongued.
-->'''Dickinson:''' ''(to Adams)'' Is that all England means to you, sir? Is that all the pride and affection you can muster for the nation that bore you? For the noblest, most civilized nation on the planet? Would you have us forsake Hastings and Magna Carta, Strongbow and Lionheart, Drake and Marlborough, Tudors, Stuarts, and Plantagenets? For what, sir? Tell me, for what? For ''you?'' Heh. Some men are patriots like General Washington. And others are anarchists, like Mr. Paine. Some, even, are internationalists, like Dr. Franklin. But ''you'', sir? ''You'' are [[PretenderDiss merely an agitator]]. Disturbing the peace, creating disorder, endangering the public welfare! And for what? Your petty little personal problems, your taxes are too high. Well, sir, ''so are mine!''

** The debate over American Independence did not boil down to an argument over the phrasing of the Declaration and whether slavery ought to be legal, as it more or less does in the movie. While the wording of the Declaration ''was'' debated, Congress had, in a surprisingly lucid moment, decided to vote on the issue first and argue the wording of the document after the fact, i.e. Congress had already voted in favor of independence before making changes to the Declaration.[[note]]The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Resolution Lee Resolution]] for independence, the vote that mattered, was on July 2. John Adams later incorrectly anticipated the United States celebrating Joy 2 as Independence Day.[[/note]] The fictionalized debate did serve to make the musical more politically correct by modern standards, and more dramatic since it added an element of "what are you willing to compromise?" to the mix. And it set up one of the musical's most profound comments on American Politics, Franklin's "Whether you like it or not, John, these men will become part of the country you hope to create" (a very, very significant line in this era where phrases like "un-American" are used so frequently in political debate). Still, historically speaking, slavery was not in any way the point on which the issue of independence hinged. It probably ''could'' have been, but the Revolutionary leaders, as a whole and by silent agreement, passed the buck for [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar the next generation to deal with]].[[note]]Prophetically, Adams wrote in a letter that the Slavery Issue would tear the country apart in a century.[[/note]]

** The debate over American Independence did not boil down to an argument over the phrasing of the Declaration and whether slavery ought to be legal, as it more or less does in the movie. While the wording of the Declaration ''was'' debated, Congress had, in a surprisingly lucid moment, decided to vote on the issue first and argue the wording of the document after the fact, i.e. Congress had already voted in favor of independence before making changes to the Declaration. The fictionalized debate did serve to make the musical more politically correct by modern standards, and more dramatic since it added an element of "what are you willing to compromise?" to the mix. And it set up one of the musical's most profound comments on American Politics, Franklin's "Whether you like it or not, John, these men will become part of the country you hope to create" (a very, very significant line in this era where phrases like "un-American" are used so frequently in political debate). Still, historically speaking, slavery was not in any way the point on which the issue of independence hinged. It probably ''could'' have been, but the Revolutionary leaders, as a whole and by silent agreement, passed the buck for [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar the next generation to deal with]].[[note]]Prophetically, Adams wrote in a letter that the Slavery Issue would tear the country apart in a century.[[/note]]

* EleventhHour:
** Just when it appears that the resolution on independence is about to be defeated, the first New Jersey delegation (led by William Franklin) is recalled, and a second delegation from New Jersey arrives in time to vote for independence.
** Just when the American troops' resources are near exhaustion, Abigail Adams sends the saltpeter needed to make gunpowder.

*** Becomes an odd sort of FridgeBrilliance later on, during "Cool, Cool Considerate Men," when Dickinson and his allies dance a minuet. The minuet was an older, more established and respectable dance; the waltz, modern and scandalous. Kind of like the respective parties' ideals in congress, eh?

* AsTheGoodBookSays: Quoth Jefferson, "These people shall be free."
-->'''Dickinson:''' What is a man profited, if he shall gain Maryland and lose the entire South? ''(beat)'' [[IronicEcho Matthew 16:26]].

* ChekhovsGun: The absence of the delegation from New Jersey is repeatedly brought up, which keeps their arrival from being a deus ex machina.

* DiesWideOpen: In "Mama, Look Sharp!"

* TheEeyore: George Washington, through his dispatches.

* ForDoomTheBellTolls: The eerie bell-ringing that accompanies the signing and final tableau.

* HeatWave: "It's hot as Hell, in [[MidwordRhyme Philadel]]-phia!"

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Adams. He does have a heart of gold. Somewhere. For instance, he really does love his wife, even if he makes fun of her for being pigeon-toed (fortunately, she gives as good as she gets). And he really does want the best for his country and its people. Unfortunately, he's also pedantic, condescending, and a loose cannon, endangering the vote for independence even as he stumps for it.
** After Jefferson is strongly persuaded to write the Declaration and comes up with nothing due to writer's block and being away from Martha for so long, Adams makes arrangements for Martha to come to Philadelphia so she can inspire Jefferson to start writing effectively.

* GondorCallsForAid: The troops, under George Washington's command, are running low on resources... and a timely delivery of saltpeter by Abigail Adams for making gunpowder helps to re-inspire their morale and convince them to keep fighting.

** There is a souvenir program out there that shows pictures from the movie and some behind-the-scenes stuff, including the names of the rest of the delegates seen in the movie (mostly Southerners to fill out the dance line in "Cool Considerate Men") For example, the man that yelled "''Will someone shut that man up?''" during "Sit Down, John", is Georgia delegate George Walton.
*** However, the musical libretto lists the singer of the aforementioned line as Robert Livingston of New York.

* BatmanGambit: Franklin asking John Hancock to poll the Pennsylvania delegation. With Pennsylvania voting last for independence, by polling them individually, this makes Wilson the last vote of the entire movement for independence. Not wanting to be the man who singlehandedly denied America their independence when every other state agreed to it, he votes in favor of it and creates a unanimous vote.