BIOGRAPHY
John Quincy Adams was the first president of America who was also the son of another president and he paralleled his illustrious father in many areas like his career, viewpoints and temperament.
John Quincy Adams was born in 1767, in a place called Braintree, Massachusetts. Above his family farm, from the top of Penn’s Hill, he watched the Battle of Bunker Hill. He was the secretary of the state and during his term he became a diligent diarist and a skillful linguist.
He became a lawyer after he graduated from the Harvard College. When he was 26, he was selected as the Minister of Netherlands and promoted to Berlin Legation. He was elected to the Senate of the United States in the year 1802 and appointed as the Minister to Russia by President Madison in the year 1808.
Under President Monroe, John Quincy Adams was on the great Secretaries of State in America. Some of his work includes arranging joint occupation of Oregon country, getting the cession of the state of Florida from Spain and formulating the Monroe Doctrine with the President.
According to the political traditions of the early 1800s, the Secretary of the State was deemed to be to the heir to the Presidency. At that time, the single existing party, the Republicans was dividing internally into the sectionalism and the factionalism. Both the parts put up their own candidates for the presidency. John Quincy Adams, candidate from the North, was behind Gen. A. Jackson in both electoral and popular voting. However, he received more votes than W. H. Crawford and Henry. Clay.
No Candidates was having a clear majority of votes through election making the election to be decided among the first three in the House of Representatives. Henry. Clay had propaganda similar to Adams and supported him tilting the needle to Adams favor. Clay was appointed as the Secretary of the State after Adams became President. Jackson charged them of corrupt bargain and began their campaign immediately on the issue for the next term in 1828.
Adams was aware that he would face resentment in Congress. Nevertheless, he proclaimed a brilliant national program in his first Annual Message. He suggested that the Fed Government should develop a network of canals and highways. Using funds from the sale of public lands, the public domain should be conserved and developed. In 1828, the project for the C & 0 Canal (185 miles in length) was started.
He also proposed the development of science and art in the United States by establishing a national university, financing scientific expeditions and erecting an observatory. However, his critics quoted such steps transcended limitations in the constitution.In the elections of 1828, Adams was charged with public plunder and corruption by Jackson and his supporters, making it hard for Adams to bear. He was defeated and returned to Massachusetts where he spent the rest of his life at his farm enjoying his books.
The Plymouth district, unexpectedly elected Adams to House of Representatives in 1830 and from there on, he served as a commanding leader for the rest of his life. Above all, Adams fought for more powers for the civil liberties.
In 1848, Adams suffered a stroke at his house and two days later, he died. He was buried at the First Parish Church in Quincy alongside his mother, father and wife. Till the end, the eloquent man fought for what he felt was right.
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