"My toast would be, may our country always be successful, but whether successful or otherwise, always right." – John Quincy Adams
A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' American Legends series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.
John Adams was one of his country's seminal Founding Fathers and one of its most experienced, distinguished diplomats and politicians. Few men in American history have a record anywhere near comparable, but one of them happened to be Adams's own son, John Quincy Adams. And yet, few Americans are familiar with him aside from the fact that he was his father's son and the 6th president of the United States.
John Quincy Adams set a lot of firsts for his country. In addition to being the first son of a president to become president himself, John Quincy Adams also managed to be a U.S. Senator, a U.S. House Representative, a Secretary of State, and an ambassador to several countries. Though he is known primarily for his presidential races against Andrew Jackson, there is a general consensus among historians that he is one of America's greatest and most skilled diplomats, responsible for successes such as the Treaty of Ghent (which ended the War of 1812), the annexation of Florida from Spain, and the Monroe Doctrine.
Along with his substantive record, Adams was one of the foremost ideological thinkers of the early to mid-19th century, particularly in his adamant opposition to slavery. Adams brought the issue to the forefront in government whenever he could, and he predicted the Civil War that would come less than 15 years after his death: "The conflict between the principle of liberty and the fact of slavery is coming gradually to an issue. Slavery has now the power, and falls into convulsions at the approach of freedom. That the fall of slavery is predetermined in the counsels of Omnipotence I cannot doubt; it is a part of the great moral improvement in the condition of man, attested by all the records of history. But the conflict will be terrible, and the progress of improvement perhaps retrograde before its final progress to consummation."
Somewhat fittingly, Adams died in the Capitol Building, collapsing during a session of the House of Representatives in February 1848. But why is Adams a relative unknown? Perhaps it was because he was the first president to be elected without having participated in the Revolution. Through no fault of his own (he was only a child during the conflict), he would forever be kept out of that most exclusive group. It's also likely that he has always had the problem of being in his father's shadow, even though every letter and diary entry indicates John Adams was immensely proud of his son and worked very hard to promote his political career.
American Legends: The Life of John Quincy Adams chronicles the amazing life and career of the distinguished politician and diplomat, analyzing his record and unshakable beliefs. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about John Quincy Adams like you never have before, in no time at all.