John Quincy Adams

Katelyn G.

With his strong political background, his amazing strength in attempting to achieve the best for his country, and his remarkable political notions, John Quincy Adams led a strong and influential life. He worked fervently everyday of his life to accomplish the unthinkable.

Son of John and Abigail Adams, John Quincy was literally "born into politics." His father was the former president of the United States. His mother was very informed of everything that was happening in the country due to influential friends. She encouraged her son to follow in his father's footsteps. During the Battle of Bunker Hill, she brought him atop Penn's Hill to see what was happening. Here she told him that he had to "get to the House of Commons." (Dodge) She also told him that he was responsible for his father's life.

This picture was taken as we were listening to a tour guide in the house in which John Quincy Adams grew up.

Among his siblings, John Quincy had a particular fondness for his sister, Nabby and a feeling of shame towards his brother, Thomas Boylston. Nabby, the eldest of the Adams children, looked to her brother for advice and strength. The two had a great friendship that endured through good times and bad. "They had rediscovered each other and became good very good friends." (Bober, pg. 135) Thomas Boylston, on the other hand, was a constant nuisance to his brother. He had poor management skills and wasted large sums of John Quincy's money when it was under his supervision.

On one of his long trips to Europe, John Quincy Adams met Louisa Catherine Johnson, his future bride. Louisa Catherine was the only foreign born first lady. Louisa was considered a polite, pleasant, and delightful woman. She was a stark contrast to John Quincy's cold manner, however, the two found love in each other. They were married for over 50 years. They had four children: George Washington Adams, John Adams, Charles Francis Adams, and Louisa Catherine Adams. All of their children were named after family or close friends. Their first son was named after the first president of the United States and close friend of the family, the second after John Quincy's father, the third after John Quincy's brother, and their daughter was named after her mother, Louisa Catherine.

John Quincy Adams fortified his own career in government with several positions that gained him recognition from such famous people as: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Before becoming president, he held such positions as: diplomat for the Netherlands, U.S. senator, diplomat for Russia, and Secretary of State.

John Quincy Adams' election to the position of president of the United States was met with much anger and jealousy. In fact, it was Andrew Jackson who received the most votes in the election. However, he did not have a majority, so the vote went to the Senate. There, John Quincy Adams was elected president. Jackson supporters cried fraud. They believed that it was John Quincy's association with Henry Clay that brought him to office. Clay had also run for president, but did not receive enough votes to be considered in the Senatorial Election. Therefore, he threw his support to John Quincy Adams and encouraged others to do the same. Shortly after becoming president, John Quincy Adams appointed Henry Clay as Secretary of State. This, the Jackson supporters claimed, was unfair and dug a rift between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams that was never filled.

This is a picture of the John Quincy Adams library.

Not belonging to any particular political party, John Quincy Adams set out, determined to attain the desires of the people of the United States. Although his intentions were well meant, people grew to either love or hate him. During his presidency, he strove to improve the nation's army, navy, roads, canals, and schools. His most notable feats were the canals that he opened, such as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. He was interested in canals because he desired to improve modes and ways of transportation.

Here we are glancing at the Unfinished Portrait of Benjamin West that is hanging in the John Quincy Adams Library.

John Quincy Adams had many interesting aspects to him. He did not sleep much, his usual night's sleep was three or four hours. In the Adams mansion, the only way to exit his bedroom was through the guest room. Therefore, he ended up waking up many of his guests. To solve this problem, a corridor was built from his bedroom to the main hallway. John Quincy was also the first president to have his own library. One of the tiles in this library was reversed in response to a statement made about the Adams family. The statement was that the Adams were perfect, the Adams family had one of the tiles in this library reversed to prove that indeed, the Adams were not perfect.

This is a picture of the tiles on the floor of the John Quincy Adams library. Can you find the one that is reversed?

After his term of office ended, John Quincy Adams returned to politics as a member of the House of Representatives. He was the only president to hold political office after his presidency. As a member of the House of Representatives, he fought long and hard to abolish slavery. His mission was not futile. John Quincy Adams gained the respect and attention of many who dismissed the issue as closed. Though he did not live to see slavery abolished, his dream was eventually realized in the Emancipation Proclamation.

True to his heart, John Quincy Adams remained in politics until the day he died. In fact, he collapsed on the floor of the House of Representatives on February 21, 1848 and died two days later. His last words were: "This is the last of earth- I am content." (Stanwich) With that, John Quincy Adams' life ended and his legacy began.

Bibliography

Adams, John Quincy. The Diary of John Quincy Adams 1794-1845. Ed. Allan Nevins. United States of America: Longmans, Green and Co., 1928.

Bober, Natalie S. Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1998.

Dodge, Larry. Adams National Historic Site, Quincy, Massachusetts. 20 October 2000.

National Park Service. "Adams National Historical Park." 2 October 2000. National Park Service. 9 October 2000. http://www.Nps.gov/adam/

Nagel, Paul C. Descent From Glory: Four Generations of the John Adams Family. United States of America: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1983.

Oates, Barbara. Adams National Historic Site, Quincy, Massachusetts. 20 October 2000.

Stanwich, John. "Biography: John Quincy Adams (1767-1848)." Adams National Historic Site: Quincy, Massachusetts.

The White House. "John Adams: Second President 1797-1808." 6 August 2000. Whitehouse.gov. 9 October 2000. http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/glimpse/presidents/html/ja2.html

Think Quest. "President John Quincy Adams: Sixth President of the United States." 1995. Think Quest. 9 October 2000. http://www.library.thinkquest.org/12587/contents/personalities/jqadams/jqa.html