John Adams
By Hunter J. Thompson
Before The Revolution
John Adams was born in Quincy, Massachusetts on October 30th, 1735. At 21 years of age, Adams became a lawyer and got inspiration to the cause of the American colonies from one of his cases. He married his third cousin Abigail in 1764, and they had six children. He was an opponent of the Stamp Act and wrote in his letter to the Massachusetts legislature that the Stamp Act denied two laws granted to all Englishmen, which were the right to be taxed only with consent and to only be tried by a jury of one's peers. Adams was sent to the first and second Continental Congresses in 1774.
During the Revolution
The American Revolution began in 1775 and lasted until 1783. Early 1775, Adams was assured that Congress was moving away from Great Britain. The following year, he wrote the preamble of what was to become the Declaration of Independence. Adams, along with Thomas Jefferson, is credited with writing the Declaration of Independence, which stated that the colonies should be free and independent of Great Britain. Over the next few years, Adams became the Commissioner to France, the Ambassador to Holland and the Ambassador to Great Britain.
After the Revolution
Adams returned to Massachusetts in 1788 after 10 years in Europe. He ran for the first presidential election in 1789, and came in second to George Washington. He became the first Vice President of the United States. He was not happy with his position of Vice President because he didn't have much influence on political and legal issues. In 1796, Adams was finally elected as the Second President of the United States, and won by a narrow margin against Thomas Jefferson. He sought re-election, but lost to Jefferson due to unpopularity with the public over tensions with France. After his presidency, Adams went back to Quincy to live with his wife and children on their farm. He died on July 4, 1826, at the age of 90. Adam's last words were "Thomas Jefferson survives." However, his friend, Thomas Jefferson, died earlier that same day.
Interesting and Worthy Points
John Adams is interesting and worth studying because he is considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. He helped draft the Declaration of Independence, one of America's most important documents. He was a big contributor of the movement from Great Britain and believed that the colonies should be free and independent. John Adams was the first Vice President and the Second President of the United States. His son, John Quincy Adams, became the 6th President of the United States, continuing his father's legacy.