John Quincy Adams: Policymaker for the Union (Biographies in American Foreign Policy)
As president, John Quincy Adams was a failure; he assumed the office under the suspicion of a "corrupt deal" that denied Andrew Jackson, winner of the popular vote, the office. And his flinty personality and refusal to compromise were ill-suited to the presidency. Unfortunately, Adams' failure as chief executive often obscures the brilliance of his earlier diplomatic career. Lewis, history professor at Louisiana State University, provides a compact survey of Adams' successes and failures in a career that included diplomatic postings to Russia, Prussia, and the Netherlands; service as peace negotiator with Britain; and finally, eight years as Secretary of State. Adams' specific achievements, including the 1814 Treaty of Ghent with Great Britain, the settlement of the U.S.-Canadian border case in 1818, and the Monroe Doctrine, are well known. However, Lewis views his greatest success as more nebulous--the preservation of a general peace that allowed the U.S to consolidate territorial expansion while strengthening domestic institutions. For students of foreign policy at^Bthe undergraduate and graduate level, this superbly written book will prove invaluable.Jay FreemanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.