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Learn about the United States' sixth president, John Quincy Adams, on the National Republican Party
An overview of John Quincy Adams.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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John Quincy Adams took office as the sixth president of the United States in 1825. His presidency was largely uneventful, and he is remembered more for his accomplishments as a diplomat and congressman.
John Quincy Adams grew up during the unrest of the American Revolution. His father – John Adams, who became the country’s second president – took an active role in the politics of the revolution, including helping to draft the Declaration of Independence. One of the heroes of the revolution – the Marquis de Lafayette – later gave the younger Adams an alligator when he was president. Legend says that Adams kept the alligator in the unfinished East Room bathroom and would direct White House visitors – especially those he did not like – to use that bathroom in order to scare them.
Adams spent much of his adolescence following his father on diplomatic missions abroad. During this time he began keeping a diary, which became a lifelong habit. By the time he died, he had written more than 14,000 pages.
Adams earned his own diplomatic appointment in 1794, as U.S. minister to the Netherlands. He served as minister to several countries over the next two decades and helped to negotiate the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812. In 1817 President James Monroe named Adams Secretary of State. Adams worked closely with the president to formulate the Monroe Doctrine, which became a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy.
Adams hoped to succeed Monroe as president in the election of 1824, a highly competitive contest. Andrew Jackson won the popular vote, but none of the four candidates won enough electoral votes to take the presidency. The vote then moved to the U.S. House of Representatives, which selected Adams as president.
Adams took office in 1825 and faced a great deal of opposition from Jackson’s supporters. He proposed a forward-thinking agenda that included creating a national university and a naval academy, building more roads and canals, and sponsoring further exploration and settlement in the West, but a hostile Congress rejected most of his plans. His presidency was largely a political failure.
- 4 min
Oct 27, 2009 · John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) served as the 6th U.S. president, from 1825 to 1829. He was the son of former president John Adams, a Founding Father. Quincy Adams was outspoken in his opposition to ...
John Quincy Adams was the sixth president of the United States. He served one term in office from 1825 to 1829. John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams, the second president of the United States. He served as Secretary of State under James Monroe before becoming president. Adams was a nimble statesman who is best remembered for his skilled ...
Overview. Reared for public service, John Quincy Adams became one of the nation's preeminent secretaries of state but proved the wrong man for the presidency. Aloof, stubborn, and ferociously independent, he failed to develop the support he needed in Washington, even among his own party. Faced throughout his term with organized opposition from ...
