John Quincy Adams Essay, Research Paper

John Quincy Adams was a major influence in the history of the United States. John Quincy took part in more important events, and held more important positions than any person in United States history. Some of the important positions he held were he was American Ministers to four different European Countries (Hague, Prussia, Russia and England), a State Senator representing Massachusetts, peace negotiator to England, a member of the House of Representatives, Secretary of the State, and President of the United States. John Quincy followed in the footsteps of his father John Adams, when he became President of the United States, but both father and son failed to win their second term as President. Although he had many successes he viewed himself as a disappointment. He did have many accomplishments during his career, but he also had a few downfalls and failures during his career. John Quincy was not the most liked person in the country, but he stood up for what he thought and believed in.

There was a time in the early stage of John Quincy Adams’ career when he was a Senator, when many Senators careers would end because they did not follow the thought of their constituents. By this time Senate was to be a more executive council than a legislative body. If they became more of a executive council they would help advise the President. Senate was an executive council to the President for a while, until the Federalist Party didn’t agree on foreign policy, and many more political issues came up. Senate started criticizing the Executive Branch, this led the Senate to becoming a more legislative body as the time went by. Now the Cabinet has the job to advise and listen to the President.

John Quincy Adams had successful career because he made a big impact and made things happen when he was in Senate. John Quincy won a seat in the United States Senate representing Massachusetts, he won the position due to support of Federalists leaders. John was expected to carry on the interests of New England and the Federalist Party. He did anything but that. John Quincy was the only Federalist to vote in favor of the Louisiana Purchase, that was proposed by President Thomas Jefferson, to buy a big piece of land from the French in 1908. When John Quincy had to say something about a certain subject he said it, no matter what his peers said. John Quincy had a big role in the problem with foreign policies. Great Britain seized many of our ships and cargoes, the Federalist merchants that were attacked said we should end this by appeasement, or satisfying them. Many people agreed with this idea. John Quincy did not, instead of those actions the Federalists proposed, he wrote up a series of resolutions and thoughts on how to stop British aggressions. There was a meeting that the Republican Party organized to protest the retaliation on the British, leaders of the federalists party said that no just honorable man should attend this meeting, but John Quinsy did. John Quincy supported the bill to not let any British vessels onto American waters and end trade with them. (embargo act). This angered the Federalists. The thought that one of their own was going against them. He was thought of as a traitor to the Federalist Party and to the state of Massachusetts.

This was courageous of John Quinsy Adams. He went against people who thought he had the same ideas, and did the opposite of what they all thought. He did not do that because that is not what the Federalists wanted or just to rebel, he did that because that is what he thought was right, and that is what his feelings about the subject were. John Quincy always said what he wanted because if he did it to just do what everyone else is doing he wouldn’t be satisfied with what actions took place, instead of saying what was really on his mind and what his feelings were. John Quincy could have been hurt or even killed by someone that had strong feelings (federalist) about the subject, that is how much he angered others.

John Quincy stood up for what he thought, and did not just join the bandwagon, if he did the United States would be different today. We would of went to war with Great Britain, or we would still have bad relations with Great Britain. The risk of being injured or killed was worth what he did. If he was killed he still would have been known as a fearless leader and a hero, for not backing down to a stronger power.

If I was in the same predicament as John Quincy Adams I would have done the same thing as him, because it was the right thing to do, even though it would be real hard. John Quincy was a brave enough man to say and do and what he thought, not what his colleagues and constituents thought. If you have a feeling of what you think is right, and others don’t think what you are thinking is right, you should do what you feel not what people around you think. Don’t let people around you influence your decisions too much, think with your own mind.