ABSTRACT
Famed historian David McCullough stresses that humans need history “as much as we need bread or water or love” (2006: 1). He makes this point in the broader context of an analysis of the life and contributions of U.S. President
John Adams. As is well known, early in his career Adams chose Thomas
Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence. As is less well known, dur-
ing the late 1770s Adams authored the Constitution of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, the oldest written constitution still in use in the world today. It
came to serve as a template for the national constitution a decade later. In one
section the Commonwealth’s constitution states that it is necessary “to coun-
tenance and inculcate the principles of humanity and general benevolence,
public and private charity, industry and frugality, honesty and punctuality in
their dealings, sincerity, good humor, and all the social affections, and generous
sentiments among the people” (McCullough 2006: 4). In short, Adams offered
one of the first definitive statements of modern humanitarianism.
