John Quincy Adams 3 Essay, Research Paper

th Presidential Profile

Name: John Quincy Adams

Dates in Office: He served from 1825 to 1829

Party: Democratic Republican

Background: Adams was born on July 11, 1767 in Braintree, Massachusetts. He was the son of John Adams, the 2nd president of the United States. From age 10 to 17, Adams lived in Europe while his father was ambassador to different nations. At the age of 18, he enrolled at Harvard, and graduated in 1787. For the next three years after graduating, Adams studied law under Theophilus Person at Newburyport, Massachusetts. He was admitted to the bar in 1790. Four years later, he became the Minister to the Netherlands. Along with his many other qualifications for the position, he was one of the only Americans who could speak Dutch. He held that position until 1797. Later that year he became Minister to Prussia, a job he had for four years. From 1803 to 1807, Adams was a U.S. Senator. In 1809 he became the first U.S. Minister to Russia. He served in that position for five years. In 1817, James Monroe appointed Adams as the Secretary of State. He held this status throughout Monroe s tenure as president.

Presidency- He assumed the presidency in 1825 after a controversial decision by the House of Representatives. After none of the four men running for office in 1825 received the majority needed to win the race, the election was given to the House of Representatives. Due to the decision of the House to consider only the top three candidates, Henry Clay was dropped from consideration. Although Jackson had won the popular vote, Adams won out in the House with the barest majority of 13 to 7 over Jackson.

Vice President: From 1825-1829 John C. Calhoun served as Vice President

Major Campaign Issues: Adam s apparent aloofness and formal manner compared unfavorably with Jackson s down-home style. Therefore, the campaign turned on the personalities of the candidates.

First Lady: When Adams was thirty, he married then 22-year old Louis Catherin Thomas, on July 26, 1797. Johnson, a native of England, is still the only foreign born First Lady.

Domestic Agenda:

1) C&O Canal, 1828- Adams was intent on bringing the nation together with highways and canals, and in 1828 he broke ground for the 185 mile C&O Canal.

2) Tariff of Abominations, 1828- Adams proposed a high tariff on imported manufactures goods to protect the domestic industry.

Supreme Court Cases: None

Foreign Policy: None

Social Changes:

1825- Erie Canal is completed

1828- Baltimore and Ohio railroad is opened, it is the first designed for passengers and freight

Analysis:

View on Adams by the people: People didn t respect Adams. They wanted Andrew Jackson to be president. By not winning the popular vote and having the house elect him, he got off on the wrong foot with the people, and was never able to win them over.

View on Adams by historians: Adams may have been one of the greatest secretaries of states, but not one of the greatest presidents. His programs for national power were out of place with the mindset of the people of that time. Although Adams was great at almost all things he did, being president was not one of them.