1735–1826 · Patriot lawyer and 2nd President
John Adams
John Adams was a blunt, hardworking Massachusetts lawyer who argued for independence harder than almost anyone in Congress. He served abroad as a diplomat, became the first Vice President and the second President, and was the first President to live in the White House.
A lawyer of principle
Adams was born on October 30, 1735, in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, and studied at Harvard. In 1770, despite public anger, he defended the British soldiers charged in the Boston Massacre because he believed everyone deserved a fair trial. He won acquittals for most of them and later called it one of the best services he ever gave his country.
Voice of independence
In the Continental Congress, Adams nominated George Washington to command the army in 1775, a choice that helped unite the southern colonies with New England. He served on the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Congress voted for independence on July 2, 1776, and Adams predicted that date would be celebrated forever with parades and illuminations. July 4, the day the Declaration was adopted, won out instead.
Constitution writer and diplomat
Adams drafted the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, the oldest written constitution still in use, which influenced the federal Constitution. In Europe he persuaded the Dutch Republic in 1782 to recognize the United States and lend it money, and he helped negotiate the 1783 Treaty of Paris with Benjamin Franklin and John Jay.
President
Adams served two terms as Vice President under Washington and was elected President in 1796. In November 1800 he moved into the unfinished President's House, now the White House, and wished blessings on it and all who would live there.
Abigail Adams
His wife Abigail was among his most trusted advisers. Their letters number over a thousand, and in one she famously urged him to "remember the ladies" in the new nation's laws. Their son John Quincy Adams became the sixth President in 1825.
Quick facts
- Born: October 30, 1735, Braintree, Massachusetts
- Died: July 4, 1826, the same day as Thomas Jefferson
- Firsts: first Vice President; first President to live in the White House
Think you know Adams? In Founders' Trivia, Adams steps forward and quizzes you on his own life.
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