John Adams

Background

John Adams was born and raised in Braintree, Massachusetts, on the family farm. He attended a small private school and also the Braintree Latin School. Adams furthered his studies as a 16-year-old at Harvard College, where he studied the literary works of ancient writers. In 1755, he graduated with an A.B. degree, now known as a Bachelor of Arts degree. Adams’ educational journey did not end after graduation. In 1756, he developed an interest in law and later earned a second Harvard degree, graduating with a Master of Arts.

In 1763, he became an anonymous writer for the Boston newspaper under the name Humphrey Ploughjogger and wrote essays on the greedy battle for power amongst the Massachusetts colonial elite. In 1764, he married Abigail Smith. The couple lived on his family’s farm, which he inherited from his father, and had six children. However, their daughter Susanna died when she was one and Elizabeth was stillborn. Adams’ three sons followed in his footsteps in the law field.

Adams became widely recognized in 1765 after writing about his opposition to the Stamp Act of 1765, which was brought forward by the British Parliament without consulting the American legislatures. He submitted four articles to the Boston Gazette newspaper about his opposition, which were later republished in the London Chronicle in 1768. In the same year, he moved to Boston to focus on law, where he later became Boston’s most prominent lawyer. Adams became more involved with politics and was named commissioner to France in 1777, with the duty to negotiate an alliance with the French during the Revolutionary War. In 1779, he was appointed as the sole minister to establish a commercial treaty with Britain to end the war until 1785, when he was appointed as an ambassador to Great Britain, being the first American to hold this title. In 1789, his ambitious involvement in political affairs earned him the position of vice president of the U.S., and eight years later, in 1797, was finally elected as the nation’s second president. During his time as president, he spent much of his time with his family at their home in Massachusetts as he preferred quietness. Adams took his last breath in 1826 when he was 90 years old, becoming the longest-lived U.S. president at the time.