John Quincy Adams – 6

John Quincy Adams was the 6th President of USA. He was the son of John Adams, who was one of the Founding Fathers of USA and also served as the 2nd President of USA.

John Quincy Adams led an active life in the service of the government and as a politician. No major events or changes took place during his Presidency.

When and where was he born

John Quincy Adams was born on July 11, 1767 in Braintree, Massachusetts.

Early Life

John Quincy Adams was born during the American Revolutionary War. His father was a very important figure during the war and acted as the American ambassador to different countries, including France.

John Quincy Adams accompanies his father during his ambassadorship in many countries and traveled extensively at a very young age. This gave him a chance to experience the culture of different countries and to learn many new languages.

Once the war was over, he returned to USA and pursued formal education. In 1787, at the age of 20, he graduated from the Harvard University and decided to practice law in Boston.

Life in Government Service

Soon after graduation, John Quincy Adams started serving the American government. He was appointed as ambassador to different countries during the Presidency of the first 5 Presidents of USA.

During this period, he served as the American ambassador to Russia, Netherlands, Prussia and United Kingdom.

During the Presidency of James Monroe, he was appointed to the important position of the Secretary of the State. It was on this position that John Quincy Adams achieved many important things.

He played an important role in securing the territory of Florida from Spain and making it a part of USA. He also averted conflict between Britain and America by successfully negotiating a joint occupation of the Oregon area.

Life as the President

John Quincy Adams became the 6th President of the United States of America. He served as the President from 1825 to 1829.

He won the Presidency by defeating war hero Andrew Jackson. Although Andrew Jackson had received more votes than John Quincy Adams in the general election, he couldn’t secure a majority and so, the House of Representatives later voted John Quincy as the President.

But many people were angry with his election and the southern states especially didn’t support him. So even after he had become President, he had a hard time in making any major changes.

He tried to have some laws passed through Congress in order to improve American businesses and to build new roads, but these laws couldn’t get sufficient support in the Congress and failed.

Later Life and Death

After a rather uneventful Presidency, John Quincy Adams returned to politics and continued to serve as a Congressman.

He remained an active member of the Congress and was known for being among the earliest politicians who actively opposed slavery. He remained a member of Congress for nearly 18 years after his Presidency and died on February 23, 1848 in Washington D.C.