Was Thomas Jefferson a better writer that John Adams?

Answer 1

They were both very good in different ways. Jefferson's words seem to be quoted more, but Adams was a real thinker concerning what the purpose of government is and how government should act. He is worth reading today.

Answer 2

I'm not sure we could say he was a great writer, like (for example) Shakespeare; but he was certainly an important writer, someone who was widely quoted, and a man who knew how to express his ideas beautifully and effectively. In his day, his writings were admired and respected by his peers-- and not just what he contributed to the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson was a prolific letter-writer, and he offered sage advice to those with whom he corresponded. He had an excellent vocabulary and a strong command of language. But he also knew how to write in a way the average person would understand, rather than writing in a way that only scholars would grasp.

Even though Jefferson lived in a more formal culture than ours, he knew how to adapt his style to the purpose of the writing-- he wrote differently depending on whether he was trying to persuade, encourage, inform, educate, etc. The Library of Congress has digitized many of his writings, and you might find it interesting to look more closely at how people communicated back in the 1700s and early 1800s. (It is also worth noting there are a number of fake quotes online that are attributed to Jefferson, so be sure to fact-check before using a quote that he allegedly wrote.)

Answer 3

Yes, he was. He wrote the Declaration of 34 and was chosen for the job because of his writing skills. At the time he was Congressional Secretary and he was perfect for the job. He would rather write than talk about something. As an avid reader, collector of plants, historical artifacts, and inventor he was a true Renaissance man. He gave over 6,000 books to start the Library of Congress and wrote several books in his life. He catalogued all the plants in Virginia and even today his letters and writings on government still have meaning. Read some of what he wrote.