John Adams was the 2nd President of the United States. Adams played a prominent role during the American Revolution. Even before the revolution, Adams was a prominent political activist who led the charge against unfair British taxes.
During the revolution, Adams remained a member of the Continental Congress and also served in other important roles. He served as the first Vice President of United States. When the Presidency of George Washington came to an end in 1797, Adams was elected as the next President.
Despite coming from humble origins, Adams received a quality education at an early age. He graduated from Harvard College in 1755. He then developed an interest in law and studied law for many years before beginning his career as a lawyer.
As a lawyer, Adams was immensely successful and respected. He was one of the most recognized lawyers in the Boston area. He also had a reputation for fairness and defended the British soldiers following the Boston Massacre in 1770, believing that the soldiers had a right to counsel and fair trial.
During the 1760s, Britain began to impose many new taxes on its American colonies. The Americans resented this and considered these taxes unfair. John Adams was one of the most vocal critics of the British taxes. He played an active role in rallying Americans against these taxes and attended the First Continental Congress in 1774.
When the Revolutionary War broke out, Adams was a prominent member of the Continental Congress. He played an instrumental role in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. He was among the congressional members who nominated Thomas Jefferson to draft the declaration.
Adams also nominated George Washington as the supreme commander of the Continental Army. During the course of the war, Adams went to Paris as a representative of the newly born United States. He also participated in the negotiations for the Treaty of Paris which brought an end to the war between United States and Britain.
After the Revolutionary War was over, John Adams remained in Europe for many years. He served as the American ambassador to Britain. He later returned to the United States and participated in the Constitutional Convention where the United States Constitution was drafted. When George Washington was elected as the President in 1789, Adams ran for the Vice Presidency and won the position. He went on to serve as the first Vice President of the United States.
George Washington’s presidency came to an end in 1797. John Adams then ran for the Presidency and was elected as the 2nd President of the United States. As a President, he faced opposition from various factions of the Congress. He was the first President to reside in the White House.
His first term came to an end in 1797. Although he ran for a second term, he lost the election to Thomas Jefferson. Adams’ son John Quincy Adams would later serve as the 6th President of the United States.
Learn More about John Adams 2nd President of America at Wikipedia
