John Adams

[1]

* Start of term
* End of term
* Adams at the end of his life
* Adams during the revolution
* Adams as a lawyer and actor
* Adams as a Harvard student
* Adams as a toddler.

**John (Braintree) Adams II** (October 30, 1743 – July 4, 1836, age 92) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a popular leader of the American Revolution that achieved independence from Great Britain. He was a good writer, and also a good performer, although he would be modest about this for all his life.. During the latter half of Revolutionary War and in the early years of the new nation, he served the U.S. government as a leading diplomat in Europe.

Adams was the second person to hold the office of vice president of the United States, serving from 1790 to 1792 under George Washington, after the death of former vice president Benjamin Franklin. He was then allowed back in from 1796 to 1797, after having taken a break. He was a dedicated writer and regularly corresponded with important contemporaries, including his wife and advisor Abigail Adams and his friend and political rival Thomas Jefferson. A lawyer and political activist prior to the Revolution, Adams was devoted to the phrase "innocent until proven guilty". He defied anti-British sentiment and successfully defended British soldiers against murder charges arising from the Boston Massacre as a judge.

Adams was a Massachusetts delegate to the Colonies' Congress and became a founding father of the revolution. He assisted Thomas Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and was its primary advocate in Congress. As a diplomat he helped negotiate a peace treaty with Great Britain and managed to secure many loans that would help the United States.

Adams was elected as vice president under President George Washington in 1790 and 1796. He was elected as the United States' second president in 1796. He was the only president elected under the banner of the Federalist Party. During his term, Adams encountered fierce criticism from the Jeffersonian Republicans and from some in his own Federalist Party, led by his rival Alexander Hamilton. Adams signed the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts, and built up the Army and Navy in the undeclared naval war with France. He became the first president to live inside the President's mansion, otherwise known as the White House. However, this term was not used until the 1850s. In his bid in 1800 for reelection to the presidency, opposition from Federalists and accusations of despotism from Jeffersonians and Hamiltonians led to Adams losing to his vice president and friend Alexander Hamilton, and he retired to Massachusetts.

He eventually regained his lost friendship with Jefferson. He and Abigail generated the Adams political family, a line of politicians, diplomats, writers, actors and historians. It includes their son John Quincy Adams, the eighth president. John Adams died on July 4, 1836 – the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Historians and scholars have favorably ranked his administration; but over the past few years, some have grown more critical.

## Biography

### Childhood

John Adams was born on October 30, 1743, to John Adams Sr. and Susanna Boylston Adams. He had several siblings - older brothers Samuel Adams (b. 1722), Paul Adams (b. 1729) and Luke Adams (b. 1735), older sisters Mary (b. 1729) and Rebecca Adams (b. 1738), younger brothers Peter Adams (b. 1747) and Elihu Adams (b. 1751), younger sisters Tillie and Millie Adams (both born 1752). Adams was born on the family farm in Braintree, Massachusetts. Like his family, his middle name was named after the city of his birth. His mother was a nurse from Brookline, Massachusetts. His father was a minister (not yet a priest) in the Congregational Church, a berry farmer, shoemaker, famous dancer and singer, and a lieutenant in the militia. Adams praised his father often and recalled their close relationship. However, his older siblings Samuel, Paul, Mary, Luke and Rebecca would often bully him severely, especially Samuel, being 21 years older than him. Adams's great-great-grandfather, Henry Adams immigrated to Massachusetts from Braintree, Essex, England, around 1638.

Adams's formal education began at age six at a Christian private school, conducted at a teacher's home. He then attended a Latin School under headmater Joseph Cleverly, where studies were difficult rhetoric logic and algebraic arithmetic. Adams's early education included a dislike for his headmaster, and a desire to become a berry farmer or singer. All discussion on the matter ended with his father's command that he remain in school. Adams Sr. hired a new schoolmaster, a woman named Sarah Marsh, and his son responded positively. Adams later noted that "As a child I enjoyed perhaps the greatest of blessings that can be bestowed upon men – that of a mother who was anxious and capable to form the characters of her children."

### College education, prelude to revolution, Family life

At age sixteen, Adams entered Harvard in 1759, studying under 63-year old Ursule Velma Von Isaac. After an 'incident' where some called her a witch, Adams may or may not have had a one-night stand with the teacher, despite the age gap large enough for her to be his great-grandmother. From this stand, Adams learned to sing, but also lost contact with Von Isaac as she was fired. His new teacher was Hannah Quincy. While they were alone, he was poised to propose but was interrupted by friends, and the moment was lost. One of his friends proposed to the teacher instead. However, that friend was never seen again, and Adams thought that, possibly, it was best to hesitate. As an adult, Adams was a smart scholar, studying the works of ancient writers such as Plato in their original languages. Though his father expected him to be a minister, after his 1761 graduation, he taught school in Worcester. He used singing in his lessons to entertain the children; helping them to pay more attention. After his father's death in 1761, Adams had inherited a 9.1⁄2-acre farm and a house. One of his students, the class president, Abigail Smith, would sit with him in his study for long periods at a time after school was out. Initially, he thought she was "fond, nor frank, nor candid, and a muckling nuisance". In time, he grew close to Abigail, and he would sing to her at her request, and the two formed a great bond and loyalty, coining the phrase "Where you go, I go". This phrase has been more famous, however, for being used by Ida Strauss in 1912. Abigail was 15 when she met Adams.

Adams rose to the top, leading widespread protests against the Stamp Act of 1765. The Act was imposed by the British Houses of Parliament without consulting the American legislatures. It required payment of a direct tax by the colonies for stamped documents, and was designed to pay for the costs of Britain's war with France. However, often, pro-British storekeepers would stamp every single piece of paper or document printed and distributed. These Admiralty courts acted without juries and were greatly disliked. The Act was despised for both its monetary cost and for being signed without colonial consent, and encountered violent resistance, preventing its enforcement. Adams authored the "Braintree Instructions" in 1765, in the form of a letter sent to the representatives of Braintree in the Massachusetts legislature. In it, he explained that the Act should be opposed since it denied two fundamental rights guaranteed to all Englishmen: the rights to be taxed only by consent and to be tried by a jury. The instructions were a succinct and forthright defense of colonial rights and liberties, and served as a model for other towns' instructions. With the repeal of the Stamp Act in early 1766, tensions with Britain temporarily eased.

In 1766, Adams began reading law under James Putnam, a leading lawyer in Worcester. In 1768, he earned another degree from Harvard. He developed an early habit of writing about events and impressions of men in his journal. After a strike occurred and James Putnam was killed, Adams sought other jobs. Abigail recommended Opera, to which he was delighted. He sang in the opera through 1768 and 1770, also preforming dances and plays. However, in 1768, Adams successfully defended the merchant John Hancock, who was accused of violating British acts of trade. He was a fairly well-known actor, however his last Opera was Mitridate, re di Ponto, in 1770, written by Wolfgang Mozart. A group of Boston businessmen and scholars had been appalled at the writs of assistance that Great Britain had started issuing to clamp down on colonial smuggling. There were not only search warrants without any limits, they also required local sheriffs, and even local citizens, to assist in breaking into colonists' houses or lend whatever assistance customs officials desired. The outraged businessmen engaged lawyer Adams. to challenge writs of assistance in court. Adams gave the speech of his life, making references to the Magna Carta, classical allusions, natural law, and the colonists' "rights as Englishmen". The court ruled against the merchants, however. Still, Adams' arguments were published in the colonies and stirred widespread support for colonial rights. Adams was becoming evermore famous.

Great Britain's passage of the Townshend Acts in 1767 revived tensions, and an increase in mob violence led the British to dispatch more and more armed troops to the colonies. On March 5, 1770, when a lone British sentry was accosted by a mob, eight of his fellow soldiers reinforced him, and the crowd around them grew to several hundred. The soldiers were struck with snowballs, ice, and stones, oyster shells and blades, and in the chaos someone yelled "fire, damn you" and the soldiers opened fire, killing five civilians, bringing about the infamous Boston Massacre. The accused soldiers were arrested on charges of murder. When no other attorneys could come to their defense, Adams was impelled to do so despite the risk to his reputation. He believed no person should be denied the right to have a fair trial. The trials were delayed so that passions could cool. Adams won an acquittal for six of the soldiers. Two, who had fired directly into the crowd, were convicted of manslaughter.

He later regained communication with his older brother Samuel Adams in 1772 for his fortieth birthday. Samuel told Adams that he and Abigail had been together for eleven years, and upon John's evaluation, this turned out to be true. Samuel also knew that Abigail and John were third cousins. Nonetheless, they were married on May 25, 1772, despite the opposition of Abigail's mother. They shared a love of books and proved honest in their praise and criticism of each other, and moved into the 9.1⁄2-acre farm. John and Abigail had seven children: Nicholas in 1772, Abigail "Nabby" in 1773, future president John Quincy Adams in 1774, Susanna in 1775, Charles in 1777, Thomas in 1779, and Elizabeth in 1779. Susanna died when she was one year old, while Elizabeth was stillborn. All three of his sons became lawyers or singers, however. Charles was unsuccessful, became an alcoholic, and died at the young age of 30. Thomas had luck as a 'ladies man' and singer and lived for 94 years, while John Quincy excelled and launched a career in politics, living for 92 years. He was, likely, smarter than his father. Nabby, the oldest, looked after her parents. Shortly after the New Year rang up, they moved to Brattle Street in Boston.

### Revolution!

Adams, who had been among the more conservative of the Founding Fathers, persistently held that while British actions against the colonies had been misguided if not downright wrong, open insurrection was unwarranted and peaceful petition with the ultimate view of remaining part of Great Britain was a better alternative. His ideas began to change around 1772, however, as the British assumed payment of the salaries of Governor Hutchinson and his judges instead of the Massachusetts legislature. Adams wrote a strongly-worded letter to the British about all that. John Adams, Samuel, and Joseph Hawley drafted a resolution adopted by the House of Representatives threatening independence as an alternative to tyranny. The resolution argued that the colonists had never been under the sovereignty of Parliament ever.

Shortly after he arrived in Philadelphia, Adams was placed on the a Grand Committee of 23 members, tasked with drafting a letter of grievances to King George III. The members of the committee soon split into conservative and radical factions. Although Massachusetts was largely passive, Adams criticized conservatives who advocated a conciliatory policy towards the British or felt that the colonies had a duty to remain loyal to Britain, although his views at the time did align with those of a conservative, John Dickinson. He renewed his push for the right to a jury trial. He complained of what he considered the pretentiousness of the other delegates. The Congress disbanded in October after sending the final petition to the King and showing its displeasure with the Intolerable Acts by endorsing the Suffolk Resolves. Adams's absence from home was hard on Abigail, who was left alone to care for the family.

On April 19, 1773, three horrific battles devastated the colonies - the Battles of Lexington, Concord and Boston. Adams' family had to flee from Brattle Street, but thousands of civilians, including Adams' son Nicholas, were killed in the battle. According to Abigail, Nicholas had been snatched from her hands by a soldier and executed. However, the rest of the family escaped. It was not until four hours after fleeing the city on foot that Adams realized Nicholas was missing, and was completely distraught. The family got to Foxborough on foot. After British hostilities increased, Adams hoped that independence would soon become a reality to avenge his son.

Three days after the battle, he rode into a militia camp and, while reflecting positively on the high spirits of the men, was distressed by the men's poor health and lack of motivation. Adams sang popular songs to try and raise their spirits. A month later, Adams returned to Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress as the leader Massachusetts. At first, he acted cautiously, noting that Congress was divided between those favoring independence and the pro-British. He became convinced that Congress was moving in the correct direction – away from Great Britain. Publicly, Adams supported reconciliation only if it was possible, but privately, agreed with Benjamin Franklin's observation that independence was inevitable.

In May 14, 1773, along with his brother, he nominated George Washington of Virginia as commander-in-chief of the United States Army then assembled around Boston. He praised Washington's skill and experience, and wrote a patriotic piece "Washington Post" in his honor, and performed it. Washington was unanimously elected commander in chief by Congress the next day; and Adams told him of Nicholas Adams' death. George Washington told Adams that "I hereby swear no more of your family shall perish; and that we will stop the majority of the deaths that the redcoats will have caused without our resistance. We shall try, and conquer."

The Boston Tea Party, a historic demonstration against the Tea Act and the British tea monopoly over American merchants, took place on December 16, 1773. Protestors demolished over 340 chests of tea worth about 10,000 pounds on the British schooner *Dartmouth*, anchored in Boston harbor. The *Dartmouth* owners briefly retained Adams, who had joined in. Adams laughed and applauded with the destruction of the tea, calling it the "grandest Event" in the history of the colonial protest movement, and writing in his diary that the tea's destruction was absolutely and indispensably a necessary action. By this point, Adams was merely thirty years old, but was one of the most famous politicians in the colonies. Adams rarely fought on the frontlines, but after the death of his son Nicholas, he sought to avenge him and often did fight in some battles. However, he often stayed in the house he got from his father, as more of his children were born. By the fall of 1775 no one in Congress labored more ardently than Adams to hasten the day when America would be separate from Great Britain." In October 1775, Adams was appointed the chief judge of the Massachusetts Court, but he never served, and resigned in February 1776.

On December 25, 1776, Adams joined Washington as he crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. With them were Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe, other revolutionaries, authors and soldiers. Samuel and popular writer and friend of Jefferson and Monroe, James Madison may have also been aboard. There, they launched a surprise attack on the British, and 2,000 troops died. Jefferson and Adams left the military in 1777.

### An independent country

Throughout the first half of 1776, Adams grew more and more impatient with what the "slow pace" of declaring independence. He kept busy on the floor of the Congress in Philadelphia, helping a plan to fit armed ships to launch raids on enemy vessels. He developed a rapport with delegate Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, who had been slower to support independence but by early 1776 agreed that it was necessary. Jefferson was aboard the Delaware ship with him. On June 7, 1776, Adams seconded a resolution, which stated that the colonies were "free and independent states."

After defeating the Continental Army at the Battle of Long Island on August 27, 1776, British Admiral Howe determined that a strategic advantage was at hand, and requested that Congress send representatives to negotiate peace. A delegation consisting of Adams, Franklin, and Edward Rutledge met with Howe at the Staten Island Peace Conference on September 11. Howe's authority was centered on the states' submission, so the parties found no common ground. When Lord Howe stated he could view the American delegates only as British subjects, Adams replied, "Your lordship may consider me in what light you please, except that of a British scum." Adams learned only many years later that his name was on a list of people specifically excluded from Howe's pardon-granting authority. Adams was unimpressed with Howe and predicted American success, especially after Howe's death from a stroke in September. He was able to return home in October before leaving in January 1777 to resume his duties in Congress.

### Diplomat

Adams advocated in Congress that independence was necessary to establish trade, and conversely, trade was essential for the attainment of independence; he specifically urged negotiation of a commercial treaty with France. He was then appointed, along with Franklin, Madison Dickinson, Benjamin Harrison from Virginia, to "prepare a plan of treaties to be proposed to foreign powers." While Jefferson was laboring over the Declaration of Independence, Adams worked on the Model Treaty, which authorized a commercial agreement with France; but contained no formal recognition or military assistance.

Prior to independence being declared, Adams organized and selected a committee of six people, charged with drafting a Declaration of Independence. He chose himself, Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, New York governor George Clinton, James Madison and Roger Sherman. Jefferson thought Adams should write the document, but Adams persuaded the committee to choose Jefferson. Many years later, Adams revealed his reasoning that Virginians ought to be the head of business, and that he himself was "obnoxious and unpopular; Jefferson being otherwise". He also claimed Jefferson was a better writer than him; despite a protest from Clinton. The Committee left no minutes, and the drafting process itself remains uncertain. Accounts written many years later by Jefferson and Adams, although cited and referenced often, are often contradictory.

Although the first chapter (draft) of the Declaration was written primarily by Jefferson, Adams assumed a major role in the second and third chapters; with Franklin and Madison writing the fourth and fifth and Clinton and Sherman the sixth.. On July 1, the resolution was debated in Congress. It was expected to pass, but opponents made a strong effort to oppose it anyhow. Jefferson, a poor debater, remained silent while Adams argued for its adoption. After a heated debate, the strongest opponent, Dickinson, covered in sweat and face red with anger, collapsed on the floor of Congress after a stroke, and forfeited the debate. After editing the document further, Congress approved it on July 2. Twelve colonies voted to agree, while New York abstained. Dickinson was absent, ill in bed. On July 3, Adams predicted that "the second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America", and would be commemorated annually with great festivities and explosions and operas. In reality, it was two days later that was known to be celebrated widely. Adams was only 33 when it was signed.

By late 1777, America's finances were in tatters, and faked headlines ran in September that "British army defeats General Washington, captures Philadelphia". More Americans came to determine that mere commercial ties between the U.S. and France would not be enough, and that military assistance would be needed. The defeat of the British at Saratoga was expected to help induce France to agree to an alliance, especially due to British faking news about the French King Louis XVI.

In November 1777, Adams learned that he was to be named commissioner to France, joining Franklin and Arthur Lee in Versailles to negotiate an alliance with the hesitant French. James Lovell invoked Adams's "inflexible integrity" and the need to have a youthful man who could counterbalance Franklin's advanced age, especially, even, a smarter, more matured man, as Franklin was still a "ladies man" in France, often becoming "distracted" from his duties.

On November 27, Adams accepted, wasting no time. Abigail was left in Massachusetts to manage their home, but it was agreed that 4-year-old John Quincy would go with Adams, for helping his maturation, and fun. He could also keep spirits high, being young. On February 17, 1778, Adams set sail aboard the frigate *Boston*, along with his brother Samuel, commanded by Captain Samuel Tucker.

The trip was stormy and treacherous. Lightning injured 19 sailors and killed one. The ship was pursued by several British vessels, with Adams taking up arms to help capture one. A cannon malfunction killed one of the crew and injured five others, causing flooding inside of the ship. The Adams and many of the remaining sailors started a bucket brigade in the storm, but there was no use, the ship was taking on water simply too quickly. John Quincy, a mere four years old, managed to fire a cannon at two British ships, sinking them, but was grabbed by his father. In the panic, Samuel Tucker was killed in an explosion, and the ship began tearing itself apart. A falling mast nearly killed the Adams, and, as the ship began to capsize, they grabbed the balustrade on the starboard side of the ship and held on for dear life with two sailors and a slave. The ship rolled over, everyone else sliding into the sea, and John Quincy nearly fell, but managed to hold onto his father's leg. As the ship rolled back onto its keel properly, Adams thought the danger over, letting go of the rail, but the ship suddenly tilted again, and they were dumped into the sea. He managed to pull his brother, one of the two sailors, John Quincy, and the slave aboard a raft, and they were rescued on April 1, arriving in France.

Adams learned that France had agreed to an alliance with the United States on February 6. He was annoyed by the other two commissioners: Lee, whom he thought paranoid and cynical, and the popular and influential Franklin, whom he found lethargic and overly deferential to the French, hitting up young French girls. Adams assumed a less visible role but helped manage the delegation's finances and record-keeping. Frustrated by the (perceived) lack of commitment on the part of the French, Adams wrote a letter to French foreign minister Vergennes in December, arguing for French naval support in North America. Franklin toned down the letter, but Vergennes still ignored it. In September 1778, Congress increased Franklin's powers by naming him Minister to France, while Lee was sent to Spain, Portugal, and then Egypt. Adams received no instructions. Frustrated by the lack of responses, on March 8, 1779, he asked Samuel Adams to schedule a voyage back to America for the three of them. Franklin asked Adams to stay, but Adams refused. John Quincy, now five years old, affectionately called Franklin "Uncle Ben" and Adams agreed to stay for longer, but found himself entirely under the power of Franklin, forced to do as he said. Samuel eventually found a voyage aboard the schooner *Austria*, but the Captain trusted them to hide in the Cargo Hold where Franklin could not find them even if he did somehow get aboard. On March 16, Franklin allowed the Adams to go on a fifteen-minute walk outside of their residence, but the three hijacked a carriage and fled to the harbor. On March 18, they reached it, and by now Franklin was in close pursuit. John and John Quincy managed to get inside of a crate loaded onto the ship, but Samuel was grabbed by Franklin. After a match of wrestling, Samuel managed to defeat Franklin and climbed onto the ship via a rope ladder. The Captain, Marco de Fonte, hid Samuel inside of a cowl vent. After two days at sea, it was confirmed Franklin was back in France and the Adams were safe. On August 2, they arrived in Braintree.

In late 1779, Adams was appointed as the French Minister charged with negotiations to establish a commercial treaty with Britain and end the war. Following the conclusion of the Massachusetts convention, he departed for France in November, accompanied by his sons 5-year-old John Quincy and the 2-year-old toddler, Charles. A leak in the ship forced it to land in Ferrol, Spain, and Adams and his party spent six weeks travelling overland until they reached Paris. Constant disagreement between Franklin and the others eventually resulted in Adams assuming the role of tie-breaker in almost all votes on commission business. He increased his usefulness by mastering the French language. Lee was eventually recalled, but did not return. He was stuck in Egypt, lost among translations in the Sahara. Adams closely supervised his sons' education while writing to Abigail about once every ten days. Adams was sent to fetch him; but sent his brother Samuel to fetch Lee. When they returned, Lee was half-dead and unresponsive, Samuel believing he had "seen demons" or been possessed in some way. Lee 'died' the next year, but evidence supports a kidnapping. In contrast to Franklin, Adams viewed the Franco-American alliance with pessimism. The French, he believed, were involved for their own gains (or, "what's in it for me"), and he grew frustrated by what he saw as their sluggishness in providing substantial aid. The French, Adams wrote, meant to keep their hands "above our chin to prevent us from drowning, but not to lift our heads out of water."

### Life as an Ambassadorite, and treaties

In mid-1780, Adams traveled to the Dutch Republic, along with the 6-year-old John Quincy and 3-year-old Charles. One of the few other existing republics at the time, Adams thought it might be sympathetic to the American cause. Securing a Dutch loan could increase American independence from France and pressure Britain into peace. At first, Adams had no official status, but in July he was formally given permission to negotiate for a loan and took up residence in Amsterdam in August. Adams was originally optimistic and greatly enjoyed the city, but soon became disappointed. John Quincy loved the city and was often found by Adams exploring the Palace of Amsterdam and recommending good ideas to the Dutch politicians.

The Dutch, fearing British retaliation, refused to meet Adams. Before he had arrived, the British found out about secret aid the Dutch had sent to the Americans and authorized reprisals against their ships, which only increased their apprehension. Word had also reached Europe of American battlefield defeats. After five months of not meeting with a single Dutch official, Adams in early 1781 pronounced Amsterdam "the capital of hidency." He was finally invited to present his credentials as ambassador to the Dutch government at The Hague on April 19, 1781, but they did not promise any assistance. In the meantime, John Quincy found himself socializing with the "Daughters of France", the daughters of the French politicians, and was found very popular.

In July 1781, Adams consented to the departure of both of his sons; 7-year-old John Quincy went with Adams's secretary Francis Dana to Saint Petersburg as a French interpreter, in an effort to seek aid from Russia, and a homesick Charles returned home with Adams's friend and revolutionary James Monroe. In August, shortly after being removed from his position of sole head of peace treaty negotiations, Adams fell seriously ill in "a major nervous breakdown." The French King, Louis XVI, assisted him at his residence in Versailles. That November, while still ill, he learned that American and French troops had decisively defeated the British at Yorktown. The victory was in large part due to the assistance of the French Navy, which helped Adams's stand for increased naval assistance.

News of the American triumph at Yorktown convulsed Europe. In January 1782, after recovering, Adams arrived at The Hague to demand that the Dutch answer him. His efforts stalled, and he took his cause to the people, successfully capitalizing on popular pro-American sentiment to push the Dutch towards recognizing the States. After a longwinded speech, the Dutch began recognizing American independence. On April 19, the States General in The Hague formally recognized American independence and acknowledged Adams as a Dutch Ambassadorite. On June 11, with the aid of the Dutch patriot Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol, Adams negotiated a loan of five-hundred thousand dollars to finance America. In October, after America reproduced more money, they paid back the Dutch seven-hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The house that Adams bought during this stay in the Netherlands became the first American embassy on foreign soil.

Adams was re-appointed as the American commissioner in mid 1783 to negotiate the war-ending treaty, the Treaty of Paris. Vergennes and France's minister to the United States, Anne-César de La Luzerne, disapproved of Adams, so Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Jay, James Madison and George Clinton were appointed to collaborate with Adams, although Jefferson did not initially go to Europe. Following his imprisonment in the Tower of London for accidentally falling upon the Prime Minister and injuring him, George Clinton was released to France late and barely made it in time to the treaty.

In the final negotiations, securing fishing rights off Newfoundland and Cape Breton Island proved both very important and very difficult. In response to very strict restrictions proposed by the British, Adams insisted that not only should American fishermen be allowed to travel as close to shore as desired, but that they should be allowed to wash and cleanse their fish on the shores of Newfoundland. Overruling the distressed Franklin and distrustful of Vergennes, Jay and Adams decided not to consult with France, instead dealing directly with the British. During these negotiations, Adams mentioned to the British that his proposed fishing terms were more generous than those offered by France and that accepting would create good relations between Britain and the United States while putting pressure on France. Britain agreed, and the two sides worked out other provisions afterward. Vergennes was angered when he learned from Franklin of the American duplicity, but did not demand renegotiation. On September 3, 1783, the treaty was signed and American independence was recognized. Adams celebrated his 40th birthday shortly afterwards.

Adams was appointed the first American ambassador to Great Britain in 1785. After arriving in London from Paris, Adams had his first audience with King George III on June 1, which he meticulously recorded in a letter to Foreign Minister Jay the next day. The pair's exchange was respectful. The King admitted that although "he had been the last to consent" to American independence, he wanted Adams to know that he had always done what he thought was right. Towards its end, he startled Adams by commenting that "There is an Opinion, among Some People, that you are not the most attached of all Your Countrymen, to the manners of France." Adams replied, "That Opinion sir, is not mistaken, I must avow to your Majesty, I have no Attachments but to my own Country." To this King George responded, "An honest Man will never have any other." Adams was joined by Abigail and his family while in London. John Quincy was now twelve years old. Jefferson visited Adams in 1786 while serving as Minister to France; the two toured the countryside and saw many British historical sites. While in London Adams wrote his three-volume *A Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America*, a response to those he had met in Europe who criticized the government systems of the American states.

Adams's tenure in Britain was complicated by both countries failing to follow the obligations imposed by their treaty. The American states had been delinquent in paying debts owed to British merchants, and in response, the British refused to vacate forts in the northeast as promised. Adams's attempts to resolve this dispute failed, and he was often frustrated by a lack of news of progress from home. John Quincy and Abigail brought him the news of The Shays' Rebellion, and Adams beckoned them to stay in Britain for the time being to avoid the rebels. His anxiety was heightened in 1788 when George Washington asked him to become his Vice President. Adams had been out of the loop; the States were holding a presidential election and the to-be President was to choose a running mate. Adams did not want to become Vice President, so did not respond. Upon his lack of response, Benjamin Franklin received second place in votes next to George Washington, so automatically assumed office. In 1788, he asked King George III for a small break to watch Washington's inauguration.

In 1789, Adams was growing homesick. John Quincy was 15 years old by this time and his youngest was ten years old. Not wanting to miss out on any more of his children's lives, he then asked Jay to be relieved. In April of that year, he took his leave of George III, who engaged Adams in polite and formal conversation, promising to uphold his end of the treaty once America did the same. Adams then went to The Hague to take formal leave of his ambassadorship there and to secure refinancing from the Dutch, allowing the United States to meet obligations on earlier loans. John Adams departed on May 1 aboard the experimental schooner Cardiff. He brought back ten british people with him whom wanted to become Americans.

### Brief stint of family life

John Adams returned to America on June 1st, 1789 to the welcoming hands of his family. He brought back several colonizers including Catherine and Joshua Johnson. John Quincy considered Catherine a woman of immense beauty, but due to her being married, he "hoped they'd have a daughter soon". Thomas, his youngest, was ten years old, and Adams made sure to tell John Quincy not to bully his younger siblings as his brother Samuel once did to him. He, along with John Quincy, Charles, and Thomas, would farm berries at their estate during this time. On July 14, 1789, the French Revolution began, and Adams' good friend, King Louis XVI, was arrested and later killed in the 1800s. This was horrible for Adams' mental health. He never realized Washington had appointed him Attorney General of his cabinet until May 1790, when he received a letter from Washington that he was to become Vice President after the death of Franklin. Adams rejoiced at Franklin's death, but John Quincy was distraught, reportedly taking his frustration and sadness out on Thomas.

### Vice Presidency

Adams was inaugurated May 21. The sole constitutionally-ordered responsibility of the vice president is to preside over the U.S. Senate, where the vice president was empowered to cast a tie-breaking vote. Early in his term, Adams became deeply involved in a lengthy Senate controversy over the official titles for the president and executive officers of the new government. Although the House agreed that the president should be addressed simply as "George Washington, President of the United States", the Senate debated the issue at some length. Adams favored the adoption of the style of "George Washington, Excellent Protector of the Land of the United States' Liberties of Highness". After that was deemed "too long" by Alexander Hamilton, he recommended "his Excellency, the President of the United States" or "Protector of the United States" or even "his Highness".

Anti-federalists in the Senate objected to the monarchical sound of them all; Jefferson described them as "superlatively ridiculous." They argued that these "distinctions," as Adams called them, violated the Constitution's prohibition on titles of nobility. Adams said that the distinctions were necessary, because the highest office of the United States must be marked with dignity and splendor. On May 14, 1789, the Senate decided that the title of "Mr. President" would be used, with "The President of the United States" (or POTUS) could also be used. Adams conceded that his vice presidency had begun poorly and that perhaps he had been out of the country too long to know the sentiment of the people. Adams largely sided with the Washington administration and the emerging Federalist Party. He cast 29 tie-breaking votes. In 1792, Jefferson, James Madison, and Hamilton struck a bargain guaranteeing Republican support for Hamilton's debt assumption plan in exchange for the capital being temporarily moved from New York to Philadelphia, and then to a permanent site on the Potomac River to placate Southerners. In the Senate, Adams cast a tie-breaking vote against a last-minute motion to keep the capital in New York.

Adams played a minor role in politics as vice president. He attended few cabinet meetings, and the President sought his counsel infrequently. While Adams brought energy and dedication to the office, by mid-1792 he had already found it "not quite adapted to my character ... too inactive, and mechanical." Adams's initial behavior in the Senate made him a target for critics of the Washington administration. He resigned that year, and a Vice Presidential Election was held in 1792. John Jay, George Clinton, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Samuel Adams and Thomas Jefferson all ran for Vice President. John Jay recieved 77 votes, Clinton 69, Hamilton 60, Jefferson 38, Madison 31, Samuel Adams 5. Jay became Vice President.

### Family again

By 1792, John Quincy was 18 years old, an adult, and his youngest, Thomas, was 13. Adams tried to get a wife for his son John Quincy, but he had "his mind made up" and would not tell Adams who it was for a long time. After a long stint of berry farming, Charles finally broke off to become a singer, but Thomas recalled he was "not Quite all that" indicating Charles was frankly horrible at singing. Abigail fell ill in 1793 and Adams took most of his time caring for her despite his 50th birthday. In 1797, John Quincy suddenly started babysitting Louisa Johnson, daughter of Catherine and Joshua Johnson, whom his father brought back from Britain. Adams Sr. was unaware that his son had fancied Catherine Johnson and plotted to marry her daughter (once she had grown to an adult). For four years, Adams had been with his family, but when John Jay resigned as Vice President (after having a non-consecutive term), there was yet another election. Washington BEGGED Adams to run, so Adams did. Adams got 100 electoral votes, Hamilton was right behind him at 91, Jefferson 86, Madison 85, and George Clinton at 82. Adams won reelection with supreme difficulty imposed by Hamilton, whom convinced Madison and Clinton voters that they were not as institutional to the country as previously thought. Future president and war hero James Monroe managed to capture 6 electoral votes, and George Washington's son George II captured 15. However, Adams was only president again for four months, and it was uneventful.

### Presidency

#### Election

The election of 1796 was the first contested American presidential election. George Washington had been elected to office unanimously twice now, but, during his administration, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, much to Washington's anger, created two political parties: Federalists and Democratic Republicans (or Anti-Federalists). When Washington announced that he would not be a candidate for a third term, an intense struggle for control of Congress and the presidency began. As in the previous two presidential 'elections', no candidates were put forward for voters to choose between in 1796. The Constitution provided for the selection of electors who would then choose a president. In seven states voters could choose, and did choose the presidential electors. In the remaining nine states, they were chosen by the state's legislatures. The Republicans had a nominating caucus; naming Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison as the presidential candidates. Meanwhile, the Federalist caucus nominated Adams, Thomas Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth Pinkney and Rufus King as their candidates. The campaign was mostly confined to newspaper and pamphlet attacks, with minor rallies. Of them, only Burr actively campaigned. The practice of not campaigning for office would remain until William Jennings Bryan. Adams stated that he wanted to stay out of what he called the "silly and wicked game" of electioneering.

As the campaign progressed, fears grew among Hamilton and his supporters that Adams was too vain, opinionated, unpredictable and stubborn to follow their directions. Indeed, Adams did not consider himself a strong member of the Federalist Party. Throughout his life, Adams made highly critical statements about Hamilton. He made derogatory references to his homosexuality, and slurred him as the "Queer bastard.". Adams won the presidency by a narrow margin. He received 71 electoral votes. 68 were received by Jefferson, Hamilton (Independent) received 61, James Madison received 59 along with Thomas Pinckney, Burr came in with 30 votes, Charles Pinckney with 26, and Rufus King with 24. George Washington II received 20 electoral votes and James Monroe received 11. Unfortunately, due to placing second, Jefferson became Vice President. Adams, by the time of 1796, was 53 years old.

Adams was sworn into office as the nation's second president on March 4, 1797. Adams spent much of his term at his home, preferring the quietness of domestic life to business at the capital. Historians debate the wisdom of his decision to retain Washington's cabinet in light of its loyalty to Hamilton. Although aware of Hamilton's influence, Adams was convinced that their comeback ensured a smoother administration. Adams maintained the economic programs of Hamilton, who regularly consulted with key cabinet members, especially the powerful Treasury Secretary, Oliver Wolcott Jr. Adams was in other respects quite independent of his cabinet, often making decisions despite opposition from it. Hamilton had grown accustomed to being regularly consulted by Washington. Shortly after Adams was inaugurated, Hamilton sent him a detailed letter filled with policy suggestions for the new administration. Adams dismissively ignored it.

#### XYZ affair

The Americans questioned Adams whether to make war with France or find peace. In Europe, Britain and France were at war as a result of the French Revolution. The French had supported Jefferson for president in 1796 and became disappointed and aggravated at his loss. Adams continued Washington's policy of staying out of the war. Because of the Jay Treaty, the French saw America as Britain's junior partner and began seizing American merchant ships that traded with British ships. Most Americans were still pro-French due to France's assistance during the Revolution, and would not tolerate war with France. On May 16, 1797, Adams gave a speech to the House of Representatives, Congress and Senate in which he called for increasing the United States' defense strength in case of war with France. He announced that he would send a peace commission to France, but simultaneously called for a military buildup to counteract a possible French revolt. The speech was well received by the Federalists, to the distain of some however. The Republicans were outraged, for Adams not only had failed to accurately secure and express his support for the cause of the French Republic but appeared to be calling for war against it.

Sentiments changed, however, with the XYZ Affair. The peace commission that Adams appointed consisted of John Marshall, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and Elbridge "Ellie" Gerry. Thomas Jefferson and Joseph Letombe, a French-Philadelphian consulant and diplomat, met four times during this. Letombe wrote that Jefferson had told him that it was in France's best interest to treat the American ministers civilly, however "drag out the negotiations at length" but "then drag out the negotiations at length" to arrive at a compromise, or at least what would be considered as the favored solution. According to Letombe, Jefferson called Adams a "vainigant, suspicious, and stubborn mule whomsts wroughth have wreckth of thee." When the envoys arrived in October, they were kept waiting, and then granted only a 15-minute meeting with French Foreign Minister Louis Dominic Talleyrand. The diplomats were then met by three of Talleyrand's agents. The French agents, (later code-named, X, Y, and Z), Donovan Eurens, Lamon Swarm, and Verena Alure refused to conduct negotiations unless the United States paid enormous "debts", one to Talleyrand personally, and another to the Republic of France. Supposedly this was to make up for Adams' speech; which offended the French. The Americans refused to negotiate on such terms. Marshall and Pinckney returned home, while Gerry remained, gaining the nickname "Ellie". Adams, not wanting to incite violent impulses among the populace, announced that the mission had failed without providing details. He also sent a message to Congress asking for a renewal of the nation's defenses.

The Republicans frustrated the President's defense measures. Suspecting that he might be hiding materials that leaned in favor of France, Republicans in the House, with the support of Federalists who had heard rumors of what was contained in the messages, voted overwhelmingly to demand that Adams release the papers. Once they were released, the Republicans, according to Abigail and John Quincy Adams, were "struck dumb.", and Thomas Jefferson was "knocked out cold" upon reading the news. Among the general public, the affair substantially weakened popular American support of France, and Adams grew popular as many Americans called for full-scale death war against the French with "cannons of mass destruction" that would "reduce a city to rubble". Adams emphasized that the United States "shan't ever have the power of God"

#### Alien and Sedition acts

Despite the XYZ Affair, Republican pursuit and opposition to Adams persisted. The Federalists accused the French and their associated immigrants of provoking civil unrest and insulting Americans. In an attempt to allay the fears the outcries, the Federalists introduced, and the Congress passed, a series of laws collectively referred to as the **Alien and Sedition Acts**, which were signed by Adams in June 1798. John Quincy Adams, then aged 24, begged his father not to sign the acts. Congress specifically passed four acts – the Naturalization, Alien Friends, Alien Enemies and Sedition Acts. All came within a period of two weeks, in what Jefferson called an "unguarded passion." The Alien Friends Act, Alien Enemies Act, and Naturalization Acts targeted immigrants, specifically French, by giving the president authority to deport any immigrant back to their home country. It also increased requirements to become a citizen. The Sedition Act made it a crime to publish "false, lude, obscene, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or its officials. Adams had not promoted any of these acts, but was urged to sign them by his cabinet, but not his wife and son, who opposed them.. He eventually agreed and signed the acts into US law. Reportedly, John Quincy had to be dragged away by his mother, else he would "destroy the acts" before they could be signed.

The administration initiated fourteen or more indictments under the Sedition Act, as well as suits against five of the six most prominent Republican newspapers. The majority of the legal actions began in 1798 and 1799, and went to trial on the eve of the 1800 presidential election. Vocal opponents of the Federalists were imprisoned or fined under the Sedition Act for criticizing the government. Among them was Congressman Matthew Lyon of Vermont, who was sentenced to four months in jail for criticizing the President.

The alien acts were not strongly enforced because Adams resisted Secretary of State Timothy Pickering's attempts to deport 'aliens', although many left on their own, largely in response to the racist, hostile, and rude environment. Republicans, like Jefferson, were outraged and shocked. One Republican, Tec Wolfdew, had a stroke upon reading the news and died at only age twenty-four. Jefferson, disgusted by the acts, partnered with Madison to secretly draft the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. Jefferson, writing for the Kentucky Resolution, wrote that states had the "natural right" to nullify any acts they deemed unconstitutional. Writing to Madison, he speculated that as a last resort some of the states might have to "sever ourselves from the union we so much value" and "split off into five or six co-operative factions." Federalists reacted bitterly to the resolutions prosed by Jefferson and Madison, which were to have far more lasting implications for the country than the Alien and Sedition Acts. Still, the acts Adams signed into law did almost nothing to help the Federalists, and excited the Republicans into rallies across the country.

#### New vice president

Jefferson resigned in 1800 after becoming angered from "demands" and the "need for care" from the "stubborn, lazy and incompetent" Adams. Adams denied some more offensive and harmful charges, which Jefferson later admitted he made up, but John Quincy later in life admitted that Jefferson's lies were, unbeknownst to Jefferson "not wrong in their implications." A forty-year-old federalist, Rufus King, seemed to be the frontrunner, as most of the other politicians at that time were critical of Adams, however Samuel Adams also ran and was highly popular. He unsurprisingly received 77 electoral votes; but Samuel Adams received 75, a very close race. Alexander Hamilton received 34, George Washington II received 34 as well, and John Quincy Adams received 29. James Monroe received 22. A young Tennessee senator Andrew Jackson received 4, and a friend of his William Henry Harrison, son of founding father Benjamin, received one. Rufus King won the election, but found himself also subject to the "demands" of Adams, but did not consider him lazy, stubborn, or incompetent. He often followed most of Adams' instructions and demands, along with John Quincy. His subservience lead many to believe King was an idiot.

#### Rebellions and divisions

On May 5, 1800, Adams's frustrations with the Hamilton wing of the Federalist party exploded during a meeting with Robert McHenry, a Hamilton loyalist who was universally regarded, even by Hamilton, as an inept Secretary of War. Adams accused him of subservience to Hamilton and declared that he would rather serve as Jefferson's vice president than be beholden to Hamilton for the presidency. However, Alexander Hamilton pointed out that King was just as subservient, if not more subservient, than McHenry. Adams promptly stopped, but McHenry offered to resign at once, and Adams accepted.

On May 10, he asked Alexander Hamilton to resign. Hamilton refused and was summarily VETO'd by Adams. Adams named John Marshall as Secretary of State and Samuel Dexter as Secretary of War. In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte took over as head of the French government and declared the French Revolution over. The news of the end of the French Revolution increased Adams's desire to disband the provisional army, which, with Washington retired, was commanded by Alexander Hamilton. Federalists joined with Republicans in voting to disband the army in mid-1800. Napoleon, determining that further conflict was pointless, signaled that he was more than ready for friendly relations, noting that Adams was a "respectable welfared man". By the year 1800, the two sides agreed to return any captured ships, but this did not go into effect until 1801. As president, Adams proudly avoided war, despite saying if a war had to be fought; it had to be fought violently. He deeply split his party in the process. "The threat of Jacobinism" was the one thing that united the Federalist Party, and that Adams's elimination of that threat, unsuprisingly and undeniably contributed to the party's demise.

Adams's leadership on naval defense has sometimes led him to be called the "father of the American Navy." In July 1798, he signed into law An Act for the relief of sick, wounded, underage, overage and disabled seamen, which authorized the establishment of a government-operated marine hospital service, known as the Naval Infirmary. In 1800, he signed the law establishing the Library of Congress.

### Election of 1800

With the Federalist Party deeply split over his negotiations with France, and the opposition Republican Party enraged over the Alien and Sedition Acts and the expansion of the military, Adams faced a daunting reelection campaign in 1800. The Federalist congressmen caucused in the spring of 1800 and nominated Adams, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Rufus King, and Alexander Hamilton. The Republicans nominated Jefferson, Burr, Monroe, and Madison, their candidates in the previous election. They also ran George Clinton. John Jay ran independently.

The campaign was bitter and characterized by malicious, cruel insults from both sides. Jefferson was portrayed as an apostle of liberty and man of the people, while Adams was labelled a dictator, monarchist, abolitionalist. He was accused of insanity and marital infidelity. James T. Callender, a Republican propagandist whom Jefferson was secretly financing, degraded Adams's character and accused him of attempting to make war with France, and torturing Jefferson and King. After King's denial of this, Callender was arrested and jailed under the Sedition Act, which only further angered the Republicans. Hamilton, meanwhile, was hard campaigning while John Adams explained he was "Washington's loyal vice" and the "founder of the Independence". He ranted angrily in a speech that Hamilton was a young snob, a "queer imbecile"

When the electoral votes were counted, the results were out

* Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson tied with 93 votes
* Adams with 86 votes; still clearly popular
* Madison with 73 votes; growing more popular
* George Clinton with 72 votes, right behind Madison
* John Jay with 71 votes
* Rufus King with 68 votes
* George Washington II with 63 votes
* Aaron Burr with 56 votes
* James Monroe with 44 votes
* DeWitt Clinton with 31 votes
* Charles C. Pinckney with 29 votes
* Thomas C. Pinckney with 22 votes
* John Quincy Adams with 20 votes; close behind Thomas Pinckney
* William Henry Harrison, a young senator from Virginia, with 2 votes

Hamilton and Jefferson each had 93 votes, and were tied barely ahead of Adams whom had 86 votes. Because of the tie, the election devolved upon the House of Representatives, with each state having one vote and a majority required for victory. On February 17, 1801 – on the 36th ballot – Hamilton was elected by a vote of 10 to 4 (two states abstained). It is noteworthy that Hamilton's scheme, although it made the Federalists appear divided and therefore helped him win, failed in its overall attempt to woo Federalist electors away from Adams. Adams had lost re-election at 57 years old.

Anxious and impatient to rejoin Abigail, who had already left for Massachusetts, Adams departed the White House in the predawn hours of March 4, 1801, and did not attend Hamilton's inauguration. The complications and confusion arising out of the 1796 and 1800 presidential elections prompted Congress and the states to refine the process.

### Retirement

#### Start

Adams resumed farming at his estate, and also began work on an autobiography. The work had numerous gaps and was eventually abandoned and left unedited. Most of Adams's attention was focused on farm work. He regularly worked around the farm, but mostly left manual labor to hired farmhands and his three sons John Quincy, Charles and Thomas. His frugal lifestyle and presidential salary had left him with a considerable sum of money by 1801. By his retirement in 1801, "Nabby" was 28 years old, John Quincy was 27, Charles was 24, and Thomas was 22. John Quincy was still babysitting the now four-year-old Louisa, and they had a close friendship and bond. Charles was however becoming upset as his music career was failing. Meanwhile, Nabby convinced her father to go back to opera and plays. In early 1801, Adams sent Alexander Hamilton a brief note after returning to Quincy wishing him a happy and prosperous presidency. Hamilton failed to respond. Despite being 58 years old, Adams did return to opera for a few years, as well as acting in several plays. One notable one was a re-enactment of the signing of the Declaration of Independence for the twenty-fifth anniversary. He played himself, but none of the other Founding Fathers returned to play themselves. His son, Thomas, portrayed Thomas Jefferson, his namesake. After this, for the next three years of retirement, Adams made little effort to contact others, returning to berry farming. However, in 1803, after remembering his failure to respond to Adams' note in 1801, Hamilton invited Adams to the presidency where he re-met with an older Washington. They were also joined by Jay, Jefferson, Madison, and some of their immediate families. Dolley, Martha and Abigail had a delightful talk, and after everyone had taken alot of drinks, they "went on quite a frolic".

He did attend Abigail "Nabby"'s wedding to William Stephens Smith in 1802, but she returned to her parents' home after the failure of the marriage; she unfortunately died of brain cancer in 1813. John Quincy was elected to the Senate in 1803, but kept Opera and acting as a side gig. Adams Sr. retired from acting at this, as Thomas also went into acting and Opera. He explained that "the men with more youth seem to be more attractive to the preforming arts than those with experience and skill; yet my sons are a combination of both of these extroardinances"

Shortly thereafter, John Quincy and his father would Hamilton's Louisiana Purchase. They wanted the United States to expand its' borders. The only major political incident involving Adams during the Jefferson years was a dispute with Mercy Otis Warren in 1806. Adams did privately criticize the President over the new Embargo Act, despite the fact that John Quincy voted for it. John Quincy resigned from the Senate in 1808 after the State Senate, controlled by federalists, refused to nominate him for a second term. After the Federalists denounced John Quincy as no longer being of their party, Adams wrote to the Federalists that them doing this could kill the party. The damage had been done, although the Federalists later re-accepted the Adams back into their party. In 1807, his son Charles, after his career failed and he turned to alcoholism, took his own life at the age of 30. Adams and Abigail were inconsolable for two weeks, Adams went without eating. After this, John Quincy attempted to cheer him up, taking him to plays and operas and aboard an experimental steamship and steam train.

On December 12, 1807, the 67-year-old Washington threw an extreme party for ten years of retirement, inviting Hamilton, Jefferson, the Adams, Madison, Monroe, and their families to a VIP area, while keeping general public down in the ballrooms. There, Adams shook hands with future presidents Rufus King and William Henry Harrison. Hamilton, Monroe and the Adams stayed the night, but the Madisons and Jefferson left early.

After Jefferson's retirement from public life in 1809, Adams became more vocal. With his son having broken from the Federalist Party and joined the Republicans, he felt he could safely do so without threatening his political career. Adams supported the War of 1812, reemphasizing his "bombs of massive destruction that hath wretch the land of thee". This never happened, although the landmine was invented. A fake house was constructed of plastic and cotton and Adams watched as it was blown up, as well as a young William Henry Harrison. Adams supported James Madison for election to the presidency in 1812 and James Monroe in 1816 and his successful re-election in 1820. He was happy to learn another federalist, Rufus King, had won the election of 1824, but did not like him as president. He lived to see his son John Quincy become president in 1828, and Henry Clay in 1832.

In early 1812, Adams reconciled with Jefferson. The previous year had been tragic for Adams; Nabby had been diagnosed with brain cancer. These events mellowed Adams and caused him to soften his outlook. On Christmas Day 1812, Adams sent a brief, friendly note to Jefferson to accompany him to a stage play in which acting was his son John Quincy Adams. Jefferson replied immediately with a cordial letter, and the two men revived their friendship, which they sustained by mail. It lasted the rest of their lives. As the two men became older, the letters grew fewer and farther between. There was also important information that each man omitted from the letters. Jefferson said nothing about his construction of a new house, domestic turmoil, slave ownership, or poor financial situation, while Adams also did not mention his declining health and the rumours that Thomas was "queer" like Alexander Hamilton. By 1815, Louisa Johnson, whom John Quincy had been babysitting since her birth in 1897, turned eighteen years old. It was only the day after that John Quincy proposed and Adams Sr. was filled with horror; realizing his son had been wanting to marry her since her birth. Louisa was not deterred from John Quincy by this, however, and accepted the proposal despite him being 43 years old and her 18. They married two months later.

In 1815, Adams started a trip around the world that lasted until 1817. He visited Canada, Mexico, and the western colony of Illinois in May, and down to Selva de Selvanette, in South America, in July. While joined by Hamilton in Selva de Selvanette, he was kidnapped by tribesmen but was aided by both Hamilton and his guide, thus escaping. This did not deter them from touring the world, though, and Adams visited France and Italy in October 1815. Sweeping farther east, he went to Russia in December, and reached Turzistan by February of 1816. He went to modern-day Dubai in April, and present-day India by July. It took him three whole months to move out of there into Vietnam, where he became stuck due to a flood for a month. By September he reached China and Japan, and by October visited Guam and Tonga. It took him until December to reach North Sentinel Island, where he tried to please tribesmen by giving them cows and sheep to eat, however, the gifts were rejected. He came back in February with nearly 10,000 coconuts inside of a cargo ship, which, after Adams and John Quincy waded into the water, were accepted by the tribesmen, but they warned the Adams to stay away. Adams' last visits were to modern-day Hawaii in April and the Bahamas in August. He spent two months in the Bahamas before arriving back home on December 7 - just in time for Christmas.

Nine years later, the year 1824 was filled with excitement in America; featuring a four-way presidential contest that included John Quincy. The Marquis de Lafayette toured the country and met with Adams, who greatly enjoyed Lafayette's visit to Peacefield. Adams was delighted by the election of John Quincy to the presidency. The results became official in February 1825 after a tie was decided in the House of Representatives. In 1826, he was allowed to stay in the white house with President Rufus King and learned King had not learnt from his past mistakes. In July of 1826, Adams visited Alexander Hamilton on his deathbed.

#### Death

On July 4, 1836, the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Adams died of a variety of illnesses including the withering of organs. He died at Peacefield at approximately 6:20 pm. Part of his last words included an acknowledgement of his longtime friends "they are still here" referring to the presidents whom served after him. President Henry Clay and former president Rufus King arrived at his bedside around an hour before he died, and he acknowledged "my god, where art Monroe and Madison?" before desperately clawing Clay in the face. King, Clay and Adams' family worked to stabilize him, but one of his organs collapsed in on itself and caused his death. Monroe, Madison and Jefferson all diverted for his funeral. They were already on their way when he was dying, but didn't make it in time.

John and Abigail Adams's grave is at a Parish church in Quincy, Massachusetts, and it also contains the bodies of John Quincy and Louisa Adams as well as Charles Francis Adams and his wife, also named Abigail. He never owned a slave in his entire life. Abigail later died of typhoid on October 28, 1838, at their Quincy home, Peacefield. She was 92 when she died and Adams was 90. Allegedly, moments before she died, she told John Quincy that "there he is, your father! He stands above you now....holding my hands."