When Independence Day Marked the Death of Three U.S. Presidents

The Fourth of July holiday commemorates the date the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which declared the thirteen American colonies were officially independent from Great Britain.

While it is a day filled with festivities such as parades, cookouts, and fireworks, it also marks the anniversary of the death of three of the earliest U.S. Presidents.  Two of whom died on the exact same day, and the other five years later.

Many people wonder if it is just a strange coincidence that these three men who played an essential role in key moments of U.S. history passed away on the same date. Or could there be something more to this odd occurrence? 

Why did these presidents, who did so much to help the American people gain independence, die on the 50th anniversary of the day they achieved their goal? For more information about the most haunted locations all throughout the United States, book a ghost tour with U.S. Ghost Adventures.

Who are the Three U.S. Presidents who Died on the Fourth of July?

• The three U.S. Presidents who died on the Fourth of July are Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe.
• Jefferson and Adams died on the same day in 1826, just a few hours apart.
• The date that Jefferson and Adams died was also the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which was written by Jefferson and co-signed by Adams.
• President Monroe is best known for the Monroe Doctrine, which aimed to prevent European intervention in the Americas and became a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. He passed away on the Fourth of July, five years after Jefferson and Adams.

Thomas Jefferson

Died on July 4, 1826

Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States. One of his greatest achievements was writing the Declaration of Independence. He also promoted religious freedom, established America’s first opposition party, and participated in the first peaceful transfer of political power. Along with being a politician, Jefferson was a lawyer, scientist, philosopher, architect, and scientist.

In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson included statements from the colonies that wanted to declare themselves free and independent states. This document has been regarded as the charter of America, as it proclaimed that all men are created equal, regardless of their wealth, birth, or social status. 

It states that those rights are given to the people by God and are not a gift of the government. As written in the Declaration of Independence, the government is the servant, not the master, of the people. Those words that Jefferson penned stand true today, the same as they did when he wrote them more than two centuries ago.

Cause of Death

Jefferson’s health began to decline in 1818 when he developed rheumatism. He found relief from the disorder by bathing in the mineral baths in Warm Springs, VA; however, his physician believes he developed several infections and other ailments from soaking in the water that contained high levels of mercury, which slowly poisoned him.

Jefferson suffered from a combination of health issues, including toxemia from kidney infections and uremia from kidney damage. He also had issues with exhaustion and episodes of chronic diarrhea and showed signs of the early stages of prostate cancer.  He passed away at his Monticello estate on July 4, 1826, at the age of 83.  

Historical Note

Thomas Jefferson died just a few hours before his friend and colleague, John Adams, the second president of the United States. The date of their death was also the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which Jefferson wrote and Adams co-signed.

John Adams

Died July 4, 1826

John Adams was a Founding Father of the United States and the second president, serving from 1797 to 1801. Before he became president, he was a leader during the American Revolution, which helped the thirteen American colonies later achieve independence from Great Britain.

Adams was best known for being a great political philosopher and being very blunt when it came to speaking his mind about the state of the country. He was viewed as a brilliant intellectual and once stated that “People and nations are forged in the fires of adversity.”

He served in Holland and France during the Revolutionary War and helped to negotiate the Treaty of Peace. He was Vice President to George Washington for two terms, and he often felt it was a frustrating experience, complaining to his wife that “My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived, or his imagination conceived.”

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were fierce political competitors for the presidency, but they later became good friends. After his loss to Jefferson, Adams went back to his farm in Quincy, MA, where he was happy to return to a normal life with his family. 

It was at the end of his presidential term that he learned of the death of his thirty-year-old son, Charles Adams, who died from complications with alcoholism. John and his wife, Abigail, never stopped mourning the loss of their son. John fell into deep despair again when Abigail passed away from typhoid in 1818.

Cause of Death

John Adams passed away at the age of 90 in Quincy, Massachusetts, due to congestive heart failure. Unaware of Jefferson’s passing, John’s final words on his deathbed were “Thomas Jefferson survives.”

Historical Note

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the last surviving members of the American Revolutionaries who took a stand against the British Empire and created a new political system within the former American colonies. 

The fact that these two men, who played such crucial roles in the foundation of America, died just hours apart on the 50th anniversary of the date of their greatest achievement is something that has amazed historians for decades.

James Monroe

Died on July 4, 1831

James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States, whose contribution to U.S. foreign policy, particularly with the issue of the Monroe Doctrine, fundamentally altered the direction of U.S. foreign relations.

Monroe was the last president of the Virginia Dynasty. Out of the first five men to hold the position of President of the United States, four of them hailed from Virginia. He had a distinguished career in politics, serving as a governor, senator, and cabinet official. His presidency began in 1817 and lasted until 1825. His time as president was known as the “Era of Good Feelings.”

The key points of the Monroe Doctrine were as follows:

• The U.S. would not interfere with European affairs
• The U.S. would recognize and would not interfere with existing colonies in the Americas
• The Western Hemisphere was closed to future colonization
• If a European power attempted to interfere with any nation in the Americas, it would be viewed as a hostile act against the United States.

The Monroe Doctrine was effective in its efforts, and there was no serious European interference until 1861, when the leader of France attempted to establish a monarchy in Mexico.

Cause of Death

James Monroe passed away on July 4th, 1831, in New York City due to complications with tuberculosis and heart failure. He was 73 years old.

Notable Coincidence

Although his death is not as widely discussed as Jefferson’s and Adams’, it is still a valid coincidence that yet another president passed on a holiday that is so important to the American people and the freedom we all have.

A Final Act of Patriotism

There are a lot of theories as to why both Jefferson and Adams passed away on the exact same day, July 4, 1826, which also marked the monumental day of the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The signing of the Declaration of Independence was a key moment in both Jefferson’s and Adams’ political careers. Additionally, the fact that Monroe died on Independence Day as well, just five years later, casts a dark cloud over the day of celebration.

The most logical explanation is that it is merely a coincidence. Jefferson and Adams were both older men with health issues, and while it came as no big surprise that their poor health got the best of them, it was still startling that it happened on such an important day in history, one that they were both a part of.

There are some historians who believe Jefferson and Adams were fighting to hang on until the important anniversary. At the same time, others have come up with strange and unusual conspiracy theories as to why this unusual event in history took place.

While there have not been any proven links to supernatural causes for this occurrence, it is still an interesting historical curiosity that many feel is worth exploring further.

On a much deeper level, there is a great significance to the death of these three presidents occurring on America’s day of Independence. It could be seen as poetic timing, a final act of patriotism from these men who loved their country until their final breath.  

Happy Independence Day

Whether it was fate, a coincidence, or something more, it is definitely something to reflect on as you celebrate the Fourth of July this year with your friends and family.

For more interesting facts about our nation’s history or to learn more about the dark and haunted side of America, be sure to visit our blog for updates, ghost tales, and interesting true stories that are stranger than fiction. For even more fun and excitement, be sure to book your next ghost tour with us here at U.S. Ghost Adventures.

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Sources:

• https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/jeffersons-cause-death/
• https://brainly.com/question/20507296
• https://www.monticello.org/thomas-jefferson/brief-biography-of-jefferson/
• https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/1600/presidents/johnadams#:~:text=John%20Adams%2C%20a%20remarkable%20political,philosopher%20than%20as%20a%20politician.
• https://www.bu.edu/historic/battin.htm
• https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-4/thomas-jefferson-and-john-adams-die
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Monroe/Later-years-and-assessment
• https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Monroe-Doctrine/628231#:~:text=Monroe%20made%20four%20basic%20points,interfere%20with%20any%20nation%20in