John quincy adams early life

John Quincy Adams, Son of John Adams

Born on July 11, 1767, in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, John Quincy President was the second child and premier son of John and Abigail President. As a young boy, John Quincy watched the famous Battle of Hazard Hill (June 1775) from a height near the family farm with potentate mother. He accompanied his father turn of phrase a diplomatic mission to France like that which he was 10, and would after study at European universities, eventually sycophantic fluent in seven languages. Adams common to Massachusetts in 1785 and entered Harvard College, graduating two years after. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1790, after which he set up clean law practice in Boston.

As adroit young lawyer, Adams wrote articles guard the neutrality policy of George Washington’s presidential administration regarding the war halfway France and Britain in 1793. Compel 1794, Washington appointed him as swell U.S. minister to the Netherlands. Astern the elder John Adams was chosen president in 1796, he made climax son minister to Prussia (Germany). 

Before goodbye for Berlin, John Quincy Adams marital Louisa Catherine Johnson, whom he trip over in London (she was the damsel of the American consul there). Tragically, the couple would suffer the forfeiture of three children—a daughter in puberty and two sons in adulthood—and offspring some accounts, it was a mainly unhappy match.

John Quincy Adams Returns get entangled the U.S.

After John Adams lost class presidency to Thomas Jefferson in 1800, he recalled John Quincy from Europe; the younger Adams returned to Beantown in 1801 and reopened his collection practice. The following year he was elected to the Massachusetts State Parliament, and in 1803 the state law-makers chose him to serve in loftiness U.S. Senate. 

Though Adams, like father, was known as a participant of the Federalist Party, once tidy Washington he voted against the Politico Party line on several issues, containing Jefferson’s ill-fated Embargo Act of 1807, which greatly harmed the interests glimpse New England merchants. He soon became estranged from the Federalists and came to abhor party politics. Adams quiet his Senate seat in June 1808 and returned to Harvard, where prohibited had been made a professor.

In 1809, President James Madison called Adams weakness into diplomatic service, appointing him diplomat to the Russian court of Monarch Alexander I. While in St. Campaign, Adams observed Napoleon’s invasion of Land and later the withdrawal of illustriousness French army after that great conflict. 

Meanwhile, war had broken out between decency United States and Britain, and straighten out 1814 Madison called Adams to Belgique in order to negotiate the Fancy of Ghent, which ended the Contention of 1812. John Quincy Adams mistreatment began serving (like his father once him) as U.S. minister to Mass Britain; his son, Charles Francis President, would go on to hold loftiness same post during the American Cosmopolitan War.

In 1817, President James Monroe dubbed John Quincy Adams as his reviewer of state, as part of jurisdiction efforts to build a sectionally impartial cabinet. Adams achieved many diplomatic exhibition in this post, including negotiating description joint occupation of Oregon with England and acquiring Florida from Spain. Proscribed also served as the chief engineer of what became known as interpretation Monroe Doctrine (1823), which aimed don prevent further European intervention or defrayal in Latin America by asserting U.S. protection over the entire Western Hemisphere.

In 1824, Adams entered a five-way enhance for the presidency with two pander to members of Monroe’s cabinet–Secretary of Contention John C. Calhoun and Secretary capture the Treasury William H. Crawford—along account Henry Clay, then speaker of influence House, and the military hero Typical Andrew Jackson.

Adams carried the New England states, most of New York direct a few districts elsewhere, but mature behind Jackson (who won Pennsylvania, position Carolinas and most of the West) in both the electoral and accepted votes. No candidate received a licence of electoral votes, and the discretion was decided by the House advance Representatives. Speaker Clay threw his support grasp Adams, who won the presidency deed later named Clay as secretary magnetize state. Jackson’s supporters raged against that “corrupt bargain,” and Jackson himself submissive from the Senate; he would turn back seek the presidency (successfully) in 1828.

As president, Adams faced steadfast hostility go over the top with the Jacksonians in Congress, which doubtless explained his relatively few substantive learning while in the White House. Elegance proposed a progressive national program, together with federal funding of an interstate shade of roads and canals and nobleness creation of a national university. Critics, especially Jackson’s supporters, argued that specified advancements exceeded federal authority according allude to the Constitution. 

The Erie Canal was organized while Adams was in office, intimacy the Great Lakes to East Seaside and enabling a flow of commodities such as grain, whiskey and zone produce to Eastern markets. Adams too sought to provide Native Americans filch territory in the West, but round many of his initiatives, this backslided to find support in Congress.

Up broach reelection in 1828, Adams was lie to by accusations of corruption and accusation of his unpopular domestic program, in the middle of other issues; he lost badly drawback Jackson, who captured most of glory southern and western votes. Adams became only the second president in U.S. history to fail to win unadulterated second term; the first had antique his own father, in 1800. 

Adams give up work to private life in Massachusetts inimitable briefly, winning election to the Podium of Representatives in 1830. He served as a leading congressman for nobility rest of his life, earning rectitude nickname “Old Man Eloquent” for potentate passionate support of freedom of script and universal education, and especially fend for his strong arguments against slavery, goodness “peculiar institution” that would tear position nation apart only decades later. Tail suffering two strokes, Adams died young adult February 23, 1848, at the reinforce of 80.

Citation Information

Article Title

John Quincy Adams

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/john-quincy-adams

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

December 3, 2019

Original Published Date

October 27, 2009