John Quincy Adams
By: Elizabeth Hoff
John Quincy Adams' Childhood
John Quincy Adams was born on July 11th, 1767 in Braintree, Massachusetts. His father was John Adams, 2nd president of the United States. His father was often away, so John Quincy Adams spent most of his childhood with his mother, Abigail Adams. He experienced the Revolutionary War as a young man feeling responsible for protecting his mother and fearing for his father's life. He spent years in Europe on business with his father, along the way gaining an impressive education, which he completed at Harvard University back in America.
Marriage
John Quincy Adams met a young daughter of an English family living in France during his travels with his father. Later, when she was 22 and he was 30, they met again. He courted her for a while before their marriage on July 26th, 1797.
Adulthood and Career
Before his presidency, John Quincy Adams served in both the Massachusetts Senate as well as the United States Senate. He was also the Secretary of State under president James Monroe, handling foreign policy for America. He also helped James Madison negotiate the Treaty of Ghent in 1814, ending the war of 1812.
Presidential Term
John Quincy Adams served as president from March 4th, 1825 to March 4th, 1829. He was the 6th president of the United States. He won the election in 1824, when he was 57 years old. While he had prior success in politics, he proved to not be a great president. He was stubborn and incredibly independent. He only served one term.
After Presidency
After his presidency, John Quincy Adams was elected into the House of Representatives in 1830. He served in the House of Representatives until he died in 1848. He lived to be 81 years old.
Heroic Attributes
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader" (John Quincy Adams). While John Quincy Adams was stubborn, he did possess some heroic qualities. As his quote expresses, he strived to be a leader, which is evident through his presidency. He also said that to be a true leader, you had to inspire people. His independence showed his power to resist the situation and be an activist for his ideals.