John Quincy Adams, the sixth US president, was born in Massachusetts in 1767. He was educated in Europe and served as a diplomat in various countries. He was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate and later to the US Senate, where he broke with the Federalist Party and became a Republican. He served as minister to Russia and Great Britain before becoming secretary of state under President James Monroe. He was elected president in 1824 but served only one term due to opposition from Andrew Jackson’s supporters. After leaving office, he served as a Whig congressman and fought against slavery. He died in 1848.
John Quincy Adams was born on July 11, 1767 in Braintree, Massachusetts to John Adams, second president of the United States of America, and Abigail Adams. He would grow up to be the sixth president of the United States, the first American president to be the son of a president.
Accompanying his father to Europe at the age of ten, John Quincy Adams was educated in France and the Netherlands. For several years he remained abroad, learning French and several other languages. As a young teenager, his linguistic talents landed him a position with the United States envoy to Russia, Francis Dana, as an interpreter. In this capacity he accompanied Dana to St. Petersburg, Russia, and remained there for nearly two years. Eventually, John Quincy Adams returned to the United States to graduate from Harvard College in 1787 and later set up a law practice.
Raised in an atmosphere of politics and public service, it wasn’t long before John Quincy Adams began to grow dissatisfied with the law and sought to make his own foray into the world of politics. In 1794 he was appointed by George Washington to serve as a minister to the Netherlands. He was well qualified for the position, speaking both French and Dutch. It was during this period that he met and eventually married Louisa Catherine Johnson on July 26, 1797. They had four children: George Washington, John, Charles Francis and Louisa Catherine.
In 1796, John Adams, the father of John Quincy Adams, became president of the United States. At the urging of George Washington, Adams Sr. appointed John Quincy Adams to the position of minister to Prussia, in which position he served until 1801.
In 1802, John Quincy Adams was elected to serve in the Massachusetts State Senate. The following year, with the support of the Federalist Party, he was elected to the United States Senate. As a senator, Adams was determined to pursue the interests of the entire country, not just the Federalist Party, a position that left him out of favor with his New England supporters. Two events in particular deviated from the Federalist/New England preference: Adams voted for the Louisiana Purchase and he voted to uphold the Embargo Act, both of which hurt New England interests.
In 1808, John Quincy Adams resigned his Senate seat, finally breaking with the Federalists and becoming a Republican. Under President James Madison, he served as minister to Russia until 1814, assisting in Napoleon’s invasion of that country in 1812.
From 1815 to 1817, Adams served as a diplomatic representative to Great Britain. In 1817, Adams was appointed secretary of state under President James Monroe. During his tenure, Adams played a pivotal role in the annexation of Florida by the United States and helped create the Monroe Doctrine.
In 1824, John Quincy Adams followed in his father’s footsteps and ran for president. With five candidates, including Andrew Jackson, and no favorites, the election was decided in the House of Representatives. Adams was inaugurated on March 4, 1825. He would serve only one term, proving ill-equipped to meet the social and partisan demands of the office.
Though a skilled diplomat, he shunned political machinations and was more concerned with personal expertise than with party politics. He lacked the warmth and personal magnetism needed to invigorate the presidential office, and he disliked courting and entertaining party supporters. He was dogged by opposition from Jackson’s supporters, who were still angry over the events of the 1824 election.
As president, John Quincy Adams was forward-thinking in his belief that federal money should be spent on improving and standardizing the entire nation. To that end, he has supported federal funding for port and highway renovations, new canals, naval fortifications, and military academies. He has supported the funding of the arts, scientific research and the creation of astronomical observatories, all of which have been poorly received.
The 1828 presidential campaign was a vicious one, with supporters of Adams and Jackson resorting to personal attacks to garner support for their candidates. When the dust settled, Jackson emerged the victor. Embittered by the defeat, Adams did not attend Jackson’s inauguration on March 4, 1829. Adams left Washington and returned to Massachusetts, intending to retire from politics and devote himself to writing.
In 1831, however, John Quincy Adams emerged from retirement to once again enter the political realm, this time as a Whig congressman. He served in Congress for seventeen years, a leading voice in the fight against slavery. Additionally, Adams’ efforts helped establish the Smithsonian Institution.
On February 21, 1848, John Quincy Adams suffered a stroke in the House of Representatives. Two days later he died. He is buried in United First Parish Church, Quincy, Massachusetts, along with his father, mother, and wife.
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