John Adams
John Adams Biography
Quick Summary
John Adams, a remarkable political philosopher, served as the second President of the United States (1797-1801), after serving as the first Vice President under President George Washington. (1)
The Massachusetts-born, Harvard-educated Adams began his career as a lawyer. Intelligent, patriotic, opinionated and blunt, Adams became a critic of Great Britain’s authority in colonial America and viewed the British imposition of high taxes and tariffs as a tool of oppression. During the 1770s, he was a delegate to the Continental Congress. In the 1780s, Adams served as a diplomat in Europe and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris (1783), which officially ended the American Revolutionary War (1775-83). From 1789 to 1797, Adams was America’s first vice president. He then served a term as the nation’s second president. He was defeated for another term by Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). His letters to his wife, Abigail Adams, left behind a vivid portrait of his time among the Founding Fathers. (2)
Sources:
(1) https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/john-adams/
(2) https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/john-adams
Quick Facts:
| Full Name | John Adams |
| Birth Date | October 30, 1735 |
| Birth Place | North Precinct of Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts |
| Death Date | July 4, 1826 |
| Career | Lawyer |
| Spouse | Abigail Smith (October 25, 1764) |
| Children | Abigail Amelia (1765–1813), John Quincy (1767–1848), Susanna (1768–1770), Charles (1770–1800), Thomas Boylston (1772–1832) |
| President No. | 2 |
| Presidency Begin | March 4, 1797 |
| Presidency End | March 4, 1801 |
| Vice President(s) | Thomas Jefferson |
| Administation | Millercenter.org |
Adams was the eldest of the three sons of Deacon John Adams and Susanna Boylston of Braintree, Massachusetts. His father was only a farmer and shoemaker, but the Adams family could trace its lineage back to the first generation of Puritan settlers in New England. A local selectman and a leader in the community, Deacon Adams encouraged his eldest son to aspire toward a career in the ministry. In keeping with that goal, Adams graduated from Harvard College in 1755. For the next three years, he taught grammar school in Worcester, Massachusetts, while contemplating his future. He eventually chose law rather than the ministry and in 1758 moved back to Braintree, then soon began practicing law in nearby Boston. for Lord Fairfax as a surveyor at the age of sixteen, the young Washington traveled deep into the American wilderness for weeks at a time.
(source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Adams-president-of-United-States)
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