John Adams

John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was the second president of the United States (1797–1801), and father of the sixth president, John Quincy Adams. He was also the first vice president of the United States (1789–1797).

John Adams
2nd President of the United States
In office
March 4, 1797  March 4, 1801
Vice PresidentThomas Jefferson
Preceded byGeorge Washington
Succeeded byThomas Jefferson
1st Vice President of the United States
In office
April 30, 1789  March 4, 1797
PresidentGeorge Washington
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byThomas Jefferson
United States Minister to the Court of St. James's
In office
April 1, 1785  March 30, 1788
Appointed byCongress of the Confederation
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byThomas Pinckney
United States Minister to the Netherlands
In office
April 19, 1782  March 30, 1788
Appointed byCongress of the Confederation
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byWilliam Short
Delegate to the
Second Continental Congress
from Massachusetts
In office
May 10, 1775  June 27, 1778
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded bySamuel Holten
Delegate to the
First Continental Congress
from Massachusetts Bay
In office
September 5, 1774  October 26, 1774
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Personal details
Born(1735-10-30)October 30, 1735
Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJuly 4, 1826(1826-07-04) (aged 90)
Quincy, Massachusetts
Resting placeUnited First Parish Church
Quincy, Massachusetts
NationalityAmerican
Political partyFederalist
Spouse(s)Abigail Smith
ChildrenNabby
John Quincy
Susanna
Charles
Thomas
Elizabeth (Stillborn)
Alma materHarvard University
ProfessionLawyer
ReligionUnitarianism
SignatureCursive signature in ink

Adams was born in Braintree, Massachusetts. He was the son of Lt. Col. John Adams, Sr. (1691-1761) and Susanna Boylston (1708-1797), and he was the cousin of the philosopher and fellow Founding Father Samuel Adams. He went to Harvard College. He married Abigail Adams in 1764.

American Revolutionary War years

Adams wanted the Thirteen Colonies to be free from Great Britain. However, Adams was fair and thought every person should be treated fairly. Even though he did not want British soldiers in Boston, he was the lawyer who defended the British soldiers who were involved in the Boston Massacre.[1]

Adams was a representative from Massachusetts during the Second Continental Congress. He helped Thomas Jefferson write the United States Declaration of Independence. During the American Revolutionary War, Adams helped make peace with Great Britain. He served in France, the Netherlands and England as an ambassador in the 1780s.

Vice President

Adams was the first vice president under George Washington. After Washington chose not to run again, Adams won the 1796 election. Adams is thought to have been the first president to belong to a political party, but like George Washington, he thought himself above any particular party. He ran for president on the Federalist ticket. He beat Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic-Republican Party. President candidates and vice president candidates did not run together like they do today. Since Jefferson got the second-highest number of votes, he became vice president.

President

During his term, he resolved a conflict against France peacefully. He also passed the Alien and Sedition Acts which made it illegal to say bad things about the government. Many people did not like those acts because they felt it took away their freedom of speech. Adams was not re-elected president and lost to Thomas Jefferson. The Federalist Party was not as popular as it was when Adams was elected. One of his last acts as president was to make John Marshall the Chief Justice of the United States. This made sure that the Federalist Party would still be important.

Of the first five U.S. presidents, Adams was the only one who did not own slaves. He was also the only one to be from New England.

Death

Adams died on July 4, 1826 of Heart Failure. This was the same day that Thomas Jefferson died, and was also exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. At 90, John Adams was the longest lived president of the United States until Ronald Reagan surpassed him in October 2001. John Adams was also a longest lived Vice President of the United States until Levi P. Morton surpassed him in 1915 and later by John Nance Garner in 1959.

References

  1. "Key Figures in the Boston Massacre Trial". law.umkc.edu. Archived from the original on January 27, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2010.

Other websites

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