John Quincy Adams

March 4, 1828, to March 4, 1829

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States,eldest son of John Adams, second President, was born atBraintree, Mass., July 11, 1767. He enjoyed peculiar and rareadvantages for education. In childhood he was instructed by hismother, a granddaughter of Colonel John Quincy, and a woman ofsuperior talents. In 1778, when only 11 years old, he accompaniedhis father to France; attended a school in Paris, and returnedhome in August, 1779. Having been taken again to Europe by hisfather in 1780, he pursued his studies at the University ofLeyden, where he learned Latin and Greek. In July, 1781, at theage of 14, he was appointed private secretary to Francis Dana,minister to Russia. He remained at St. Petersburg until October,1782, after which he resumed his studies at The Hague. Waspresent at the signing of the definitive treaty of peace inParis, September 3, 1783. He passed some months with his fatherin London, and returned to the United States to complete hiseducation, entering Harvard College in 1786 and graduating in1788. He studied law with the celebrated Theophilus Parsons, ofNewburyport; was admitted to the bar in 1791, and began topractice in Boston. In 1791 he published in the Boston Centinel,under the signature of "Publicola," a series of able essays, inwhich he exposed the fallacies and vagaries of the Frenchpolitical reformers. These papers attracted much attention inEurope and the United States. Under the signature of "Marcellus"he wrote, in 1793, several articles, in which he argued that theUnited States should observe strict neutrality in the war betweenthe French and the British. These writings commended him to thefavor of Washington, and he was appointed minister to Holland inMay, 1794. In July, 1797, he married Louisa Catherine Johnson, adaughter of Joshua Johnson, of Maryland, who was then Americanconsul at London. In a letter dated February 20, 1797, Washingtoncommended him highly to the elder Adams, and advised thePresident elect not to withhold promotion from him because he washis son. He was accordingly appointed minister to Berlin in 1797.He negotiated a treaty of amity and commerce with the PrussianGovernment, and was recalled about February, 1801. He was electeda Senator of the United States by the Federalists ofMassachusetts for the term beginning March, 1803. In 1805 he wasappointed professor of rhetoric and belles-lettres at HarvardCollege, and accepted on condition that he should be permitted toattend to his Senatorial duties. He offended the Federalists bysupporting Jefferson's embargo act, which was passed in December,1807, and thus became connected with the Democratic party. Heresigned his seat in the Senate in March, 1808, declining toserve for the remainder of the term rather than obey theinstructions of the Federalists. In March, 1809, he was appointedby President Madison minister to Russia. During his residence inthat country he was nominated to be an associate justice of theSupreme Court of the United States, and confirmed February, 1811;but he declined the appointment. In 1813 Adams, Bayard, Clay,Russell, and Gallatin were appointed commissioners to negotiate atreaty of peace with Great Britain. They met the Britishdiplomatists at Ghent, and after a protracted negotiation of sixmonths signed a treaty of peace December 24, 1814. In the springof 1815 he was appointed minister to the Court of St. James,remaining there until he was appointed by Mr. Monroe Secretary ofState in 1817. In 1824 Adams, Jackson, Crawford,

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