John Quincy Adams

NAME: John Quincy Adams

WHAT FAMOUS FOR: Sixth president of the United States, son of John Adams, diplomat, congressman, and opponent of slavery

BIRTH: July 11, 1767 in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts

FAMILY BACKGROUND: Son of John Adams, a Founding Father and the second president, and Abigail Adams, a prominent First Lady and writer; descendant of the Quincy family, a prominent political family in Massachusetts,

CHILDHOOD: John witnessed the American Revolution as a boy. He accompanied his father on diplomatic missions to Europe He learned several languages and studied classical literature.

EDUCATION: Harvard College (AB, AM); He studied law under Theophilus Parsons and graduated in 1787.

CAREER RECORD: Lawyer; diplomat; U.S. senator; U.S. secretary of state; U.S. president; U.S. representative.

APPEARANCE: Adams was short and stout. He had blue-gray eyes and brown hair that turned gray in later years. 

Adams portrait – Gilbert Stuart, 1818

FASHION: He wore plain and simple clothes. Adams preferred dark colors and high collars. He wore a top hat and a frock coat

CHARACTER: Intelligent, diligent, independent, principled, stubborn, aloof, irascible

SENSE OF HUMOUR: Dry and sarcastic. Adams enjoyed puns and wordplay. He often made jokes at his own expense

RELATIONSHIPS: Adams had a close bond with his mother, who influenced his views and values. He had a distant and strained relationship with his father, who expected much from him.

Adams married Louisa Catherine Johnson, the daughter of a poor American merchant, in a ceremony at the church of All Hallows-by-the-Tower, London on July 26, 1797. He had a loyal but sometimes unhappy marriage with his wife, who suffered from poor health and depression.

Adams had a difficult relationship with his eldest son, who died of alcoholism; had a better relationship with his youngest son, who followed his footsteps in politics

MONEY AND FAME: Adams came from a wealthy and prominent family He inherited land and property from his father; and earned a modest income from his public service. Adams received royalties from his published writings. He enjoyed fame and respect as a statesman and scholar

FOOD AND DRINK: Adams ate simple and frugal meals He preferred fish, vegetables, fruits, cheese, and bread; drank water, tea, coffee, cider, and wine. Adams avoided spirits and tobacco.

MUSIC AND ARTS: Adams played the flute as a hobby. He enjoyed classical music, especially Mozart and Haydn and appreciated painting and sculpture, especially Greek and Roman art. He visited museums and galleries in Europe.

LITERATURE: A voracious reader and writer, Adams read works in English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic;. He wrote books, essays, poems, speeches, letters, diaries, and memoirs. Adams admired Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, Swift, Voltaire, Rousseau, Goethe, and Schiller

NATURE: He loved nature and the outdoors and walked every morning for exercise and fresh air. Adams kept a garden at his home in Quincyand observed plants and animals with curiosity and admiration

HOBBIES AND SPORTS: Adams enjoyed swimming, fishing, hunting, riding, skating, sledding, and bowling. He played chess, checkers and billiards. Adams collected books, coins, and shells and attended lectures, theater,and opera

SCIENCE AND MATHS: Interested in science and maths. he studied astronomy, chemistry, geography, geology and navigation. Adams owned a telescope, a microscope, a sextant, and a compass. He calculated eclipses, tides, and distances. Adams corresponded with scientists such as Benjamin Rush, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander von Humboldt

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY: A devout Unitarian Christian, Adams believed in the unity of God, the moral law, the free will of man, and the immortality of the soul. He read the Bible daily, prayed  regularly, attended church services and respected other religions.  Adams studied philosophy such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Hume, and Kant

SCANDAL: Adams was accused of making a "corrupt bargain" with Henry Clay to win the presidency in 1824 and criticized for his unpopular policies such as the Tariff of 1828. He  was attacked for his opposition to slavery by pro-slavery politicians, involved in the Amistad case as a lawyer for the African captives and censured by the House of Representatives for presenting anti-slavery petitions. 

MILITARY RECORD: Adams served as a diplomat during the War of 1812 and negotiated the Treaty of Ghent that ended the war. He supported a strong national defense and a professional army and navy and opposed unnecessary wars and interventions

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS: Generally healthy and active throughout his life, Adams suffered from occasional bouts of malaria, dysentery, rheumatism, and depression. He had a stroke in 1846 that impaired his speech and movement. Adams had a second stroke in 1848 that caused his death.

HOMES: Born and raised in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, Adams lived in various places in Europe and America as a diplomat and politician. He owned a farm called Peacefield in Quincy, where he retired and died.

TRAVEL: Adams traveled extensively in Europe and America as a diplomat and politician. He visited France, England, Netherlands, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Canada. Adams crossed the Atlantic Ocean eight times

DEATH: He died on February 23, 1848 in Washington, D.C., at the age of 80, two days after he'd collapsed in the House of Representatives after suffering a stroke. His last words were "This is the last of earth. I am content." Adams was buried in the United First Parish Church in Quincy

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA: Portrayed by actors such as Anthony Hopkins, E.G. Marshall, David Morse, and Paul Giamatti in films and TV shows such as Amistad, The Adams Chronicles, John Adams, and The American President. 

ACHIEVEMENTS: One of the most accomplished and influential statesmen in American history, Adams helped shape the foreign policy of the United States, especially the Monroe Doctrine that opposed European interference in the Americas. He promoted internal improvements such as roads, canals, and education, and defended human rights and civil liberties such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom from slavery.