October 02, 2019 (Wednesday)
* You know already, I’m sure, that our sixth president was the son of the second president. His father, John Adams, was Vice-President when George Washington was President, and was the only one of the first five presidents who was not from Virginia. Like his father, John Quincy Adams was from Massachusetts.
The war for Independence began at Bunker Hill in Boston, Massachusetts. Though the first, third, fourth and fifth presidents were from Virginia, John Quincy Adams’ origins in Massachusetts were strong credentials for his interest in the revolution and the new nation now known as the United States of America. Born in Braintree, Massachusetts, as a small boy he watched the Battle of Bunker Hill June 11, 1775 from the top of Penn’s Hill above the family farm.
He was born on July 11, 1767 in Braintree, Massachusetts, and died on February 23, 1848 in Washington D.C.
Due to his father’s influence, Adams soon became involved in government service. He worked in some capacity with each of the first five presidents. He began his political career as U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands under George Washington. He worked as ambassador to Prussia under his father John Adams. For President James Madison he worked as ambassador to Russia and, later, the United Kingdom. While Thomas Jefferson was president, Adams served as the Senator from Massachusetts. Finally, under James Monroe he was Secretary of State.
Adams is considered one of the great Secretaries of State in the history of the United States. He was able to gain the territory of Florida from Spain for $5 million. He also was the main author of the Monroe Doctrine, an important part of U.S. policy that stated the U.S. would defend countries in North and South America from being attacked by European powers. He also helped to negotiate the joint occupation of the Oregon country with Great Britain.
In the early days of the United States, the Secretary of State was generally considered the next in line for the presidency. Adams ran against war hero Andrew Jackson and Congressman Henry Clay. He received fewer votes than Andrew Jackson in the general election. However, since no candidate received a majority of votes, the House of Representatives had to vote on who would be president. Adams won the vote in the House. (When he later ran for re-election, Jackson defeated him).
Adams had difficulty persuading Congress to endorse his ideas for legislation. After he left office, he was elected as a U.S. representative. He is the only president to be a Congressman after being president. He served in the House for 18 years, fighting hard against slavery. He first argued against the “gag” rule, which said slavery could not be discussed in congress. After getting the “gag” rule repealed, he began to argue against slavery.
He married Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams in London, England. They had three sons, George, John and Charles. Adams was married in 1797, on the eve of his departure for Berlin. Adams had first met her when he was 12 years old and his father was minister to France. Though fragile in health, she proved to be a gracious hostess who played the harp and was learned in Greek, French, and English literature. Accompanying her husband on his various missions in Europe, she came to be regarded as one of the most-traveled women of her time.
Although somewhat ineffective as a president, John Quincy Adams distinguished himself in government service throughout his life.
John Quincy Adams – President 1825-1829
* (175 years would go by before we would have a president whose father had been president before him. George W. Bush’s father, George Herbert Walker Bush had been Vice President under Ronald Reagan and President 1989-1983. They are affectionately nicknamed “Bush41” and “Bush43”.
The grandson ([Benjamin Harrison) of a president (William H. Harrison) would become a one-term president in 1889).
As far as I know, John Quincy Adams and his father had no nicknames associated with their being father and son; his nickname, however, was “Old Man Eloquent.”
Click here for all the nicknames of the presidents.