John Adams

NAME: John Adams

WHAT FAMOUS FOR: He was an early advocate of American independence from Great Britain, a major figure in the Continental Congress, the author of the Massachusetts constitution, a signer of the Treaty of Paris, the first American ambassador to the Court of St. James, and the first vice president and second president of the United States.

BIRTH: John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 (in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts.

FAMILY BACKGROUND: He was the eldest of three sons of John Adams Sr., a farmer and deacon, and Susanna Boylston Adams, a descendant of the Boylstons of Brookline. John's mother came from a prominent family of scientists and medical doctors.

CHILDHOOD: John grew up in a modest New England farm where he learned to read and write. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and farming. He attended a local school and later a private academy in Worcester.

EDUCATION: Adams graduated from Harvard College in 1755 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then studied law under James Putnam, a prominent lawyer in Worcester, and was admitted to the bar in 1758.

CAREER RECORD Adams practiced law in Braintree and Boston, becoming one of the most respected lawyers in Massachusetts. 

He was elected to the Massachusetts Assembly in 1770 and served as a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses from 1774 to 1777. 

Adams was a member of the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence and a leading advocate for its adoption. He also served on various diplomatic missions to France, Holland, and Britain during and after the Revolutionary War. 

Adams helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris that ended the war and secured American independence. 

He was the first U.S. minister to Britain from 1785 to 1788. 

Adams returned to America in 1788 and was elected as the first vice president under George Washington in 1789. He was re-elected in 1792. 

Adams became the US second president in 1797 after defeating Thomas Jefferson by three electoral votes. 

His presidency was marked by conflicts with France and Britain, domestic divisions between Federalists and Republicans, and controversies over his Alien and Sedition Acts. He lost his bid for re-election to Jefferson in 1800 by 65 to 73 electoral votes.

Adams retired to his farm in Quincy and resumed his correspondence with Jefferson and other political figures. 

APPEARANCE: Adams was about 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a stout build, blue eyes, and light brown hair that turned gray with age. He wore spectacles and a powdered wig. He dressed in plain but elegant clothes, often wearing a dark coat, breeches, stockings, and buckled shoes.

President John Adams by Asher B. Durand (1767-1845).Wikipedia commons

FASHION: Adams was not very interested in fashion or ostentation. He preferred simplicity and modesty in his attire and manners. He once said that he wished "that simple dress might be introduced among us; that we might be distinguished only by our virtues."

CHARACTER: Adams was a man of strong principles, integrity, courage, and patriotism. He was also stubborn, independent, outspoken, and sometimes irascible. He valued reason, justice, liberty, and education. Adams was loyal to his friends and family, but also had enemies and rivals. He was proud of his achievements but also humble about his faults. He had a deep sense of duty and responsibility to his country and posterity.

SENSE OF HUMOUR: He had a dry wit and enjoyed jokes and puns. Adams often used humor to defuse tense situations or to make a point. He also appreciated irony and sarcasm. He once wrote to his wife Abigail that "I have sometimes been called an Aristocrat; but I am sure I am not one; for I hate them heartily."

RELATIONSHIPS: John Adams married Abigail Smith on October 25, 1764. The ceremony took place in the Smith family home in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and was officiated by Abigail's father, William Smith. After their wedding, the couple moved to Braintree (now Quincy),

The couple had six children, including John Quincy Adams, who became the sixth president of the United States.

Abigail was John's confidante and adviser, and they exchanged many letters during their long separations. 

Adams also had a complex friendship with Thomas Jefferson, his political rival and collaborator. They disagreed on many issues, but reconciled later in life and died on the same day, July 4, 1826.

MONEY AND FAME: John Adams came from a modest family of farmers and artisans, and he worked hard to earn his education and reputation as a lawyer and a statesman. He was not wealthy, but he was respected for his integrity and intelligence. 

FOOD AND DRINK: John Adams enjoyed simple food, such as bread, cheese, cider, and tea. He was not fond of exotic dishes or alcoholic beverages, though he occasionally drank wine or beer. He was known for his frugality and temperance, and he avoided overeating or indulging in luxuries.

MUSIC AND ARTS: John Adams had a taste for classical music, especially the works of Handel and Bach. He also appreciated poetry and drama, and he wrote some verses himself. He was not very skilled in painting or drawing, but he admired the talents of others. He was especially fond of the portraits of Gilbert Stuart, who painted him several times.

LITERATURE: John Adams was an avid reader and a prolific writer. He read widely in history, philosophy, law, politics, religion, and science. He admired the works of Cicero, Locke, Montesquieu, Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, and Swift. He wrote numerous essays, letters, diaries, speeches, and books on various topics. Some of his most influential works include A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America (1787), Discourses on Davila (1790), and his correspondence with Jefferson.

NATURE: John Adams loved nature and farming. He grew up in the countryside of Massachusetts, where he learned to plow, sow, reap, and care for animals. He often escaped from the pressures of public life to his farm in Quincy, where he planted trees, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. He enjoyed walking, riding, fishing, and hunting in the woods and fields.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS: John Adams had few hobbies or sports. He was not interested in games or amusements that he considered frivolous or wasteful. He preferred to spend his leisure time reading or writing or conversing with his family and friends. He did enjoy swimming in his youth, and he occasionally played cards or chess with his wife or children.

SCIENCE AND MATHS: John Adams had a keen interest in science and maths. He studied astronomy, physics, chemistry, geography, medicine, and engineering. He admired the discoveries of Newton , Franklin , Priestley , Lavoisier , and others. He also had a good knowledge of arithmetic , geometry , algebra , and calculus . He used maths to solve practical problems , such as surveying land , measuring distances , or calculating taxes .

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY: John Adams was a deep thinker and a devout Christian . He believed in the existence of God , the immortality of the soul , and the moral law . He was influenced by the rationalism of the Enlightenment , but he also respected the traditions of Puritanism . Adams rejected the doctrines of predestination, original sin, and eternal damnation . He advocated for religious freedom , tolerance , and diversity .

SCANDAL: John Adams was involved in several scandals during his career . One of them was the XYZ Affair , which erupted in 1797 when French agents demanded bribes from American diplomats to negotiate a peace treaty. Adams exposed the affair to Congress, which provoked a public outcry and a quasi-war with France . Another scandal was the Alien and Sedition Acts , which Adams signed into law in 1798 to suppress dissent and criticism from his opponents. The acts were widely denounced as unconstitutional and tyrannical .

MILITARY RECORD: John Adams never served in the army or fought in a war . However , he supported the American Revolution as a political leader. He nominated George Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Adams served on several committees that dealt with military affairs, such as raising troops, supplying arms, and appointing officers. He also helped negotiate the peace treaty with Great Britain that ended the war.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS: John Adams had a robust constitution and a long life. He lived to be 90 years old, the longest of any president until Ronald Reagan. He suffered from various illnesses and injuries, such as smallpox, malaria, dysentery, rheumatism, gout, and a broken wrist. Adams also had poor eyesight and hearing in his old age. He maintained his health and fitness by eating moderately, sleeping regularly, and exercising daily .

HOMES: John Adams lived in several homes throughout his life. He was born in a saltbox house in Braintree, Massachusetts, where he spent his childhood and early adulthood. He moved to Boston in 1768, where he rented a brick house on Brattle Street. Adams bought a farm in Quincy in 1787, which he named Peacefield. He lived there for most of his retirement.

John Adams moved into the White House on November 1, 1800, near the end of his presidency. Although construction on the White House began in 1792, it wasn’t completed until 1800. When Adams moved in, the building was still unfinished in some areas, and he and his wife, Abigail, found it quite drafty and incomplete.

TRAVEL: John Adams traveled extensively during his career. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean eight times between 1778 and 1788. He visited France, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, and Spain as a diplomat. He also traveled within the United States, from New England to the South. He rode on horseback, carriage, or coach. Adams endured many hardships and dangers on the road, such as bad weather, rough terrain, bandits, and disease.

DEATH: John Adams died on July 4, 1826, at his home in Quincy, Massachusetts. He was 90 years old, and he had been ill for several months. His last words were "Thomas Jefferson still survives", unaware that Jefferson had died a few hours earlier at Monticello, Virginia. They both died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which they had helped draft and sign. Adams was buried at the United First Parish Church in Quincy, next to his wife Abigail and his son John Quincy.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA: John Adams has been portrayed in various media over the years. Some of the most notable examples are:

The musical 1776 (1969), which depicts Adams as the main protagonist and leader of the independence movement. He was played by William Daniels on stage and in the film adaptation (1972).

The miniseries John Adams (2008), which is based on the biography by David McCullough and covers Adams's life from 1770 to 1826. He was played by Paul Giamatti, who won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance.

The book and film Hamilton (2015, 2020), which features Adams as a minor antagonist and rival of Alexander Hamilton. He was played by Rory O'Malley in the original Broadway cast and by Carvens Lissaint in the film version.

The film Amistad (1997), in which he was played by Anthony Hopkins.

The novel John Adams: A Life (1992) by John Ferling, which won the Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award.

The podcast series Presidential (2016) by The Washington Post, which featured an episode on his life and legacy.

ACHIEVEMENTS: Adams was instrumental in the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. Set precedents for peaceful power transitions and American foreign policy. He left behind a legacy of intellectual thought and unwavering political commitment that continues to inspire.