What is John Adams Most Known for?
John Adams is the 2nd President of the United States. John Adams was one of the founding fathers of the United States. He fought for U.S. independence as a Massachusetts delegate to the Continental Congress. He was a member of the team that drafted the Declaration of Independence and was one of only two people to sign it to later become President (the other being Thomas Jefferson).
John Adams Overview:
| Served as President | 1797-1801 |
| Party | Federalist |
| Age at inauguration | 61 |
| Born | October 30 1735 in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts |
| Died | July 4, 1826 in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts |
| Married | Abigail Smith Adams |
| Children | 5 (Abigail, John Quincy, Charles, Thomas, and a daughter who died young) |
| Nickname | Father of American Independence |
Biography of President John Adams
Growing Up of John Adams:
John grew up in the British colony of Massachusetts Bay. His father was an influential farmer and craftsman who became the speaker of the Massachusetts Bay Legislature. John is a smart boy and his father put a lot of emphasis on education. He went to Harvard for college, where his father expected him to study to become a minister. However, John had a different opinion and decided to study law. He graduated from Harvard in 1755 and began practicing law in Boston soon after.
Before John Adams Became President:
While practicing law in Boston, Adams began to have strong feelings about British rule. He felt that the colonies were not being treated fairly and should be independent from Britain. He became a member of the Massachusetts legislature and then their delegate to the Second Continental Congress. While in Congress, he was a strong supporter of American independence. He even worked on the Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jefferson.
During the American Revolution, Adams traveled to Europe to raise funds for the war and to form alliances with other nations for the new government of the United States. He also worked on the Treaty of Paris, with Benjamin Franklin and John Jay, which eventually ended the Revolutionary War.
John Adams’ Presidency:
Adams first served as Vice President under George Washington. He found this job boring and trivial. However, when Washington resigned, Adams ran for president and barely beat Thomas Jefferson in 1797.
During his presidency, Adams’ main achievement was to keep the United States from war with France. France and Britain are at war and both want American help. The American public is divided. Some wanted to support France because France helped the United States in the American Revolution. Others wanted to help England. Although it affected his popularity at the time, Adams chose peace and kept the country out of war.
How did John Adams die?
Adams lived to the age of 90 when he fell ill and died on July 4, 1826. One of the most astonishing coincidences in history, Adams died on the same day as Thomas Jefferson. This day also marks the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence!
Interesting Facts about John Adams:
Adams has been married to his wife Abigail for 53 years. Abigail and John wrote letters to each other over the years, sometimes daily.
He is overweight and some call him by the nickname “He is round”.
Thomas Jefferson and Adams were running for president. When Adams won, Jefferson became vice president because at the time the person with the second most votes for the presidency became vice president.
His last words were “Thomas Jefferson is alive”. However, he did not know that Jefferson had died a few hours earlier.
Adams was the first president to live in the White House.
His son, John Quincy Adams, became the 6th President of the United States.