George Washington is often given the lionshare of the credit when it comes to establishing the tradition of a peaceful transfer of power in the United States. But in her new book, "Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic," Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky argues that the second president also deserves a healthy portion of credit. Adams understood that he could never measure up to Washington, but he did understand that a strong, democratic nation would depend on his ability to consider his country over his party. Dr. Chervinsky shows that while Adams made political mistakes that made him unappealing to elect for a second term, he weathered both foreign and domestic crises in ways that made the presidency, and thus, the young republic, stronger.

Information on Dr. Chervinsky's book can be found at https://www.lindsaychervinsky.com/

We discussed her book, "The Cabinet," on this episode
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axelbank-reports-history-and-today/id1521053272?i=1000494574017

We discussed her co-edited book, "Mourning the Presidents," on this episode
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axelbank-reports-history-and-today/id1521053272?i=1000601993613

Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory

**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**

"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at

https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory

https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory

https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory