We cannot make events. Our business is wisely to improve them.

Adams draws a sharp line between controlling history and responding to it. The statement accepts that individuals—even political leaders—rarely “make” events in the sense of fully directing circumstances; wars, economic pressures, public passions, and chance all intrude. What remains within human agency is judgment: reading the moment accurately, choosing prudent actions, and turning unfolding circumstances toward the public good. In a revolutionary context, the idea also functions as counsel against both fatalism and reckless voluntarism: one should neither wait passively for providence nor imagine that sheer will can dictate outcomes. The emphasis on “wisely” makes practical prudence and moral responsibility the core of political action.