John Adams first Chief Justice

Maybe he finds he hates being VP so much he wants to resign.

Washington offers him that job.

Any other way he could get that job.

How would he do?
 
Back in the days when we were trying to construct a timeline off the Retrospective Elections series, there was some talk about Adams being appointed Chief Justice after he lost the Vice-Presidency to John Jay. Given the OTL results where Adams got 34 votes to Jay's 9, this would require some dramatic change, but it's possible. In my abortive Retroverse TL, I postulated that Adams' Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States was published with even more unpopular language that OTL where it already got him accused of monarchist leanings. Some such scandal would probably be needed.

As Chief Justice, Adams would almost certainly give the court system more pomp and circumstance. He tried to do so iOTL with the Senate and Presidency, before being smacked down by the Senators themselves, but there wouldn't be anyone to restrain him as Chief Justice. Also, he might prompt an earlier adoption of the district court system (OTL passed in early 1801 but then promptly repealed by Republicans eager to get the Federalist judges off the bench), so he wouldn't need to ride circuit. I think Adams' influence as Chief Justice would be confined to the legal system, though; the Supreme Court had hardly any influence before Marshall's later years.

Of course, if this means Adams doesn't run for President in 1796, that could throw a huge wrench into matters...
 
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