John Q. Adams

John Q. Adams was born in Baintree, Massachusetts on July 11, 1767. Died February

23, 1848. He was the son of President Adams and 1st Lady Abigail Smith. Him and his father were the only father son president til George W. Bush took office in 2001.

His early years of education were acquired in Europe at schools like the University of Leiden while accompanying his father while the elder Adams was serving as an American envoy to France and later the Netherlands during the Revolutionary War. He later graduated from Harvard University in 1787 where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa. While at Harvard he studied law, after which, he was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Boston.

Adams' most important contributions to american history came before and after his relatively inflective term as president. Before becoming president, he was the most experienced diplomat in the United States. While serving as Secretary of State under President James Munroe, Adams negotiated the Adams-Onis Treaty with Spain and devised the Monroe Doctrine, both of which were of long lasting importance. For these activities,he has been called "the most influential American grand strategist of the nineteenth century" and perhaps the greatest secretary of state in american history.

President George Washington appointed him Minister to the Nertherlands in 1794, Minister to Portugal in 1796, and let us not forget the Minister of Prussia in 1797. While serving abroad all this time he wed a young lady by the name of Louisa Catherine Johnson. They named their first son after George Washington. (as of today, Adams is the only U.S. President to do so.)

In 1802 Adams began his political career where he was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate. He ran for a seat in the House of Representatives in the same year. He was however, unsuccesful! Adams was elected as a federalist to the United States Senate and served from March 4,1803 til June 8, 1808!

Adams was also the Minister (ambassador) to Russia from 1809-1814, member of the commission which negotiated the Treaty of Ghent in 1814, and minister to the United Kingdom from 1815-1817.

He was secretary of State in the cabinet of President James Monroe from 1817-1825, a tenure during which he was intrumental in the acquisition of Florida and in keeping the United States from becoming dependent

on England. As secretary of state, he negotiated the Adams-Onis Treaty and helped develop the Monroe Doctrine, which warned European nations not to meddle in affairs of the western hemisphere.

Adams ran for President in 1820, and received one electoral vote! President Monroe virtually ran unopposed fro re-election.

ELECTION to PRESIDENCY

Although Adams lost in both the popular and electoral votes in the presidential election of 1824, none of the candidates were able to secure a majority of the electoral votes. Thereby putting the outcome in the hands of the House of Representatives. I think they nominated Adams to President, because no one really liked his rival, Andrew Jackson. Adams served as president from March 4, 1825 til March 3, 1829. during